fiBPSi 


:•■.;■■.'," 


FROM   THE  LIBRARY  OF 


REV.   LOUIS    FITZGERALD    BENSON,   D.  D. 


BEQUEATHED    BY   HIM   TO 


THE   LIBRARY  OF 


PRINCETON  THEOLOGICAL   SEMINARY 


IW71 


XHvisfci 
{Secdca 


/?J 


m 


i  , 

I 

THE  \^X 

LIFE,  CONVERSION, 


PREACHING.    TRAVELS,    AND    SUFFERINGS 


ELMS  SMITE. 


WRITTEN  BY  HIMSELF. 


u  And  thou  shalt  remember  all  the  -way  -which   the   Lord   th~ 
Ged  led  thee,  these  forty  years  in  the  "wilderness?* 

Deut.  viii 

•  Gather  up  the  fragments  that  remain*  that  nothing  > 

JohrTvi.  12. 


Vol.  I. 


PORTSMOUTH,  M  If. 


JPrintea  by  BECK  h  FOSTER  ;  sold  bj  the  Author,  No.  ft, 
Ladd-street,  and  James  F.  Shores,  No.  1,  Market-street  ;  by 
the  Christian  Preachers  in  the  United  States  :  and  tkc 
B»oV-   Vs. 

J  4816, 


DISTRICT  OF  J^EW-HAMFSEIRE.^u  wr* ....... 

BE  IT  REMEMBERED,  that  on  the  twenty-ninth  day  of 
February,  in  the  fortieth  year  of  the  Independence  of  the  Uni- 
ted States  of  America,  Eli  as  Smith,  of  the  said  District,  has 
deposited  in  this  Office  the  title  of  a  book,  the    right  whereof 

lie  claims  as  author,  in  the   words  following...... to  -wit "The 

Life,  Conversion,  Preaching,  Travels  and  Sufferings  of  Elias 
Smith,  written  by  himself. ...And  thou  shalt  remember  all  the 
way  which  the  Lord  thy  God  led  thee,  \hese  forty  years  in  the 
wilderness,.. ..Deut.  viii.  2 Gather  up  the  fragments  that  re- 
main, that  nothing  be  lost John  vi.  12 Vol.  I." In  conform- 
ity to  the  act  of  the  Congress  of  the  United  States,  entitled, 
"  an  act  for  the  encouragement  of  learning,  by  securing  the 
copies  of  maps,  charts,  and  books,  to  the  authors  and  proprie- 
tors of  such  copies,  during  the  times  therein  mentioned  ;"  and 
also  to  an  act,  entitled,  "  an  act  supplementary  to  an  act,  en- 
titled, an  act  for  the  encouragement  of  learning,  by  securing 
the  copies  of  maps,  charts  and  books,  to  the  authors  and  pro- 
prietors of  such  copies,  during  the  tiroes  therein  mentioned  ; 
sending  the  benefits  thereof  to  the  arts  of  designing, 
aving,  and  etching  historical  and  other  prints." 

G.  W.  PRESCOTT, 

Clerk  of  the  New-Hampshire  district. 


INTRODUCTION. 


FRIENDS  AND   BRETHREN, 

Introductions  to  books  are  seldom  read  ; 
being  generally  considered  too  long,  or  unin- 
teresting. Please  to  read  mine,  as  it  is 
short,  if  not  the  best. 

When  a  man  undertakes  to  write  his  life, 
or  publish  himself  to  the  world,  he  enters 
upon  a  delicate  piece  of  business  on  many 
accounts.  If  he  is  but  little  known  before  he 
writes,  he  wrill  be  but  little  known  afterwards. 
If  he  is  generally  known  ;  to  tell  the  public 
what  they  already  know,  is  to  profit  them 
but  little.  To  publish  every  trifling  circum- 
stance in  life,  is  but  to  expose  a  man's 
ness,  more  than  when  he  acted  in  a  trifling 
manner. 

There  is  a  difficulty  attending  this  kind  of 
writing,  which  cannot  well  be  avoided  :  I 
is    of  saving  I,  so  often  ;  the  author   having 
himself  constantly    in   view,  while    \ 
upon  the  subject. 

The    object   a   man  must    have    in  view, 

while  writing  his  life,   to  make  it  profitable 

be  this  :  a  desire  that  others 


IV  INTRODUCTION. 

may  be  profited  by  knowing  what  lie  his 
known  ;  by  doing  what  he  has  done  ;  by 
avoiding  what  he  has  avoided ;  or  shunning 
things  which  he  would  have  shunned,  had 
some  person  of  experience,  warned  him  n* 
season  of  the  danger,  which  he  knew  only  by 
going  where  that  dansjpr  was. 

My  study  has  been  to  write  so  that  the 
profiting  might  appear  to  all  that  read  what 
is  written.  I  have  endeavored  according  to 
the  motto,  to  "  remember  all  the  way  the 
Lord  has  led  me  these  forty  years/'  and  "  to 
gather  up  the  fragments"  that  remained  in 
my  memory.  I  never  kept  any  written 
journal  of  my  life,  excepting  the  time  when 
the  baptist  ministers  rose  against  me  in  Bos- 
ton.  The  whole  book,  excepting  about 
fifty  pages,  is  written  from  what  was  retained 
in  my  memory  ;  and  I  am  confident  that  in 
general  the  dates  are  correct.  Should  there 
be  some  mistakes  of  this  kind,  no  one  will 
consider  it  designed,  when  almost  the  only 
record  to  take  the  book  from,  was  my  memory, 

It  has  taken  about  six  weeks  to  write  the 
volume  ;  which  perhaps  might  have  been 
done  more  correct,  had  more  time  been  taken 
to  write  what  is  here  communicated. 

It  was  my  design  at  first,  to  write  more 
upon  the  doctrine  of  Christ  ;  and  to  give  a 
more  extensive  account  of  the  people  called 
christians  ;  but  this  more  properly  belongs 
in  another  place.  The  last  six  years  of  my 
life,  has  been  more  important  to  me,  and  per- 
haps  to   others,  than  any  six  years  of  my 


INTRODUCTION.  V 

whole  life.  Finding  the  whole  could  not  bo 
comprised  here,  I  concluded  best  to  continue 
the  particulars  of  the  last  six  yeers,  with 
maoy  other  important  things,  in  \  second 
volume,  to  be  published  as  soon  as  it  shall  b« 
called  for  by  my  friends  and  the  public. 

My  desire  is,  that  all  who  read  may  profit, 
and  that  young  and  old  may  serve  the  God 
of  my  youth,  and  we  all  through  grace  ar- 
rive safe  at  the  end  of  the  journey  of  life,  to 
be  citizens  of  the  new  Jerusalem,  to  go  no 
more  out  ;  and,  freed  forever  from  these 
changes,  by  a  change  from  mortality  to  im- 
mortality, to  set  down  in  the  kingdom  with 
all  the  saved,  to  give  glory  to  God  and  the  , 
Lamb  forever.     Amen. 

I  subscribe  myself,  a  freeman  from  all 
bondmen,  and  as  such,  servant  of  all,  for 
Jesus  sake,  and  the  least  of  all  saints. 

ELIAS  SMITH. 

Portsmouth,  New-Hampshire,  March  5,  1816. 


N,  B.   The  reader  vill  notice  the    date  in  page    400.     T. 
ought  to  stand  1804,  instead  of  1814.     It  is  likely  the1 
be  some  other    typographical  errors,   which  the  re« 
requested  to  correct,  ©r  excuse. 


AS 


Contents  of  each  Chapter, 


CHAPTER  I. 

Birth,  parentage,  family,  place   of  nativity,   &c.  page     14 

Parents,  first   baptists,   then  christians,         -         -  N         15 

Occasion  of,  the  author's  name  ;  planting  the  knife,  ibid. 

Improvement  of  the  planted  knife,  16 

Vain  attempt  to  catch  the  bird,  whip-o'-will,          .  -      ibid. 

Application  of  the   story,  to   old  and  young*,  male  and 

female,           -          ...          -"                   -  -         18 

First  attending  school*  in  Connecticut,  22 

Idea  of  toriesi  regttfars  and  rebels,  at  six  years  old,  -         23 

Meditation  on  my  existence,   knowledge  of  right  and 

wrong,  -  -  ibid. 

Conversation  of  ministers,  northern  lights,  &c.      -  -        24 

Cause  of  being    troubled  as  a   sinner,  25 

CHAPTER  II. 

Account  of  being  sprinkled,          -  25 
How  and  when  performed,          -----        27 

The  first  time  of  seeing  people  buried  in  baptism,  -        29 

Revival  of  religion  in  Lyme,  Conn.  SO 

Removal  to  Hebron,    education  in  1780,         -         -  -         31 

Distress  of  mind  on  account  of  the  war,  Sec.        -  -         32 

Elder  William  G row's  preaching  in  Andover,  Conn.  -        33 

CHAPTER  III. 

Removal  from   Hebron   to   Woodstock,  Vt.          -  -        35 

First  dwelling-house,  description  of  its  situation,  -         36 

Manner  of  feeding  cattle,  making  sugar,  &c.        -  -        39 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Wearing  land  of  timber,  hardships  endured,         -  -         41 

Ha'    ships   endured  for   want  of  food,  43 

Preachers  and  preaching  in  AVoodstock,  45 

First  knowledge  of  a  dictionary  and  geography,  -        46 

CHAPTER  V. 

Attending  school,  in  1784,              -  48 

Manner  of  learning  grammar  and  music,  50 

Rage  of  canker  rash  among  the  youth,  52 
Melancholly  death  of  two  sisters,         -                    -         -         54 

Distressed  state  of  mind,          -           -  56 
Bad  effects  of  fatalism  and  infant  sprinkling,          -        -         58 

Translation  into  the  kingdom  of  Christ,  59 

CHAPTER  VI. 

The  evidence  of  regeneration,  60 
Instructions  for  the  weak  in  faith,          .... 
Manner  of  being  saved,   £sc\        -----        Cj 


CONTENTS.  Vli 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Doubts  rsspecting  regeneration,           -           ...  70 

Distress  for  want  of  food  in  Woodstock,  73 

Trial  of  faith  in  a  dream,          -           -  75 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Exercises  respecting"  baptism,           -          -                     "  78 

Proofs  of  infant  baptism,                 -            -  89 

Law  work  decribed  by  Dr.  Shepard,  SI 

The  glory   of  God's  justice,         -----  82 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Preaching  of  Thomas  Baldsvin  in  Woodstock,       -        -  84 

First  knowledge  of  Watts'  logic,           -  87 

First  knowledge  of  rhetoric,  manner  of  learning,         -  85 

The  first  time  of  teaching  a  school,  83 

First  knowledge  of  figures,  &tc.           -          -  91 

Description  of  a  school  room,          -----  93 

Manner  of  obtaining  green  glasses,  94 

CHAPTER  X. 

Manner  of  hearing  sermons,  and  improving  the  memory,    96 

Dress,  labor,  &c.          -          -  98 

Manner  of  reading  the  bible,  state  of  mind,        -         -  100 

Journey  to  Connecticut, 102 

CHAPTER  XL 

Clergyman's  preaching  in  Springfield,          ...  104 

Two  baptist  ministers  sermons,          ...        -  107 

Wrong  text  for  the  sermon, 109 

CHAPTER  XII. 

Teaching  a  school  in  Hartford,  Conn.          -  112 

Elder  Daniel  Minor's  sermon,       -  115 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

The  Episcopalian  and  his  catechism,           -  119 

Christopher  Miner's  text,  "  O  Wheel  t"        -        -         -  123 

Journey  from  Hartford  to  Woodstock,          -        -        -  125 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

Time  and  place  when  baptised,          ....  I9g 

Manner  of  being  received  into  the  baptist  church,        -  130 

Thoughts  respecting  being  a  preacher,         -  132 

Elder  Peak's  thanksgiving  sermon,          •          -        -  133 

CHAPTER  XV. 

Objections  against  preaching, 137 

Conversation  wiih  my  uncle,  his  advice,       -         -         -  139 

Journey  with  Elder  Peak  to  Chester,  143 


Till  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

Journey  from  Colerain  to  Adams  and  Shaftsbury,      •  146 

Elder  John  Gano's  sermon,          -----  151 

General  meeting  at  Shuftsbury,  Vt.      -         -        -         -  152 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

Journey  to  Manchester, 157 

Elders  Leland  and  Peak's  sermons,       ....  158 

Elder  Peak's  lamentation,           -----  159 

First  time  of*  speaking  in   public,         -  160 

Approbation  of  the  church,   and  commendation,         -  163 

Journey   to   Coos,   with  Eider   Peak,            -         -         *  164 

Association  in  Canaan,  N.  H.         -         -         -         •         •  165 

insisting  from  preaching1, three  weeks,         -  166 

Singular  dream,  and  its  meaning,         ....  168 

Forsaking  my  father's  house  to  preach  the  gospel,        •  175 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Situation  as  to   things  earthly,           -          -         -         -  177 

Time  spent  in  Coos,  employment,  &c          -        -         ■  179 

Elders  Leland  and  Call's  visit,            •         -         -         -  180 

Boubts  of  my  conversion,          -  184 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

Journey  to  the  east  part  of  Newhampshire,          -         -  185 
The  clergyman's  question  at  the   river,       -  186 
Scripture  to  prove  that  the  clergyman  ought  immediate- 
ly to  hang  himself          - 190 

CHAPTER  XX. 

First  meeting  in  AUenstown,  Deerfield,  &c.          •         -.  192 

Meeting  in  Newmarket,           ....         -  193 

First  meeting  in  Epping,           ...          -         -  194 

First  acquaintance  with  Dr.  Shepard,          ...  196 

First  meeting  in  Lee,           -                                      -  197 

Journey  to  Coos  and  Vermont,                             -1  195 

CHAPTER  XXL 

Association  at  Brentwood,  preaching,  &c.          -        -  200 

Conversion  of  Samuel  Colcord  in  Lee  meeting-house,  203 

Town  call  to   settle  at  Danville,          -  205 

Present   of  black  clothes,          .....  206 

Bain  storm  in  Canaan,        -                   ...        -  207 

CHAPTER  XXII. 

Meeting  at  Salisbury,  N.  H.        -        -        -   '     -        -  208 

Tarry  at  Col.  Webster's,  and  meetiag  in   Northfield,  209 

Revival  of  religion  in  Sanbornton,       -           -  210 

Tisit  to   Brookfield,   Middleton,    &c.  211 

The  calvinistic  negro,  whipped  out  of  Calvinism,          -  212 

Travels  and  preaching  with  Joshua  Smith,        -        :  213 


CONTENTS. 


ix: 


CHAPTER  XXIIL 

dispute  upon  close  communion,  -  -         -         -  215 

The  dream    of  Jacob's   ladder,  -  -         -         -  216 

Account  of  Thomas  Nichols,         -----  217 

Sermon  at  Southampton,         -  ...        -  213 

Remarks  upon  ordaining  Elders,         -  220 

Association    at  Deertiekl,   Eider   Peak's  sermon,         -  221 

First  visit  in  Boston,  and  acquaintance  vvith  Dr.  Si  .'man,  223 

Dr.  Stilitnan's  prayer,  -  -  -  225 

Meeting  at    Haverhill,    being1    ordain    1  at  Lee  -  226 

Mr.  Baldwin's  description  of  unconverted  minis     rs,  22® 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 

The  Indian  who  carried  too  much  bush,  and  applica- 
tion of  the   same  to   old  preachers,         -  230 

First  time  of  baptising-, -  235 

Proposal  ihr   incorporation   among-  the  baptists,          -  234 

Anecdote  of  Dr.  Sljepard,  association  in  Woodstock,  Vt.  235 

Sermons  bv  Mr.  Hones,  and  Dr.  Shepard,            -         -  236 

Mr.  Knov.ies'  prayer  before  baptism,          -           -         -  23r 

Opposition  from  a   clergyman   in   Candia,            -         *  238 

Meeting  in  Salisbury,          -          -  259 

CHAPTER  XXV. 

Dispute  about  election,  and  free-will,  ...  240 

Manner  and  time  of  embracing  Calvinism,  -        -  241 

First  marriage,  -  -  ....         -  043 

ley  .to  Lffingbam  and   Bow,  ....  244 

Removal  to  Salisbury,  -  -  245 

Provision  for  hous  .  ,  £cc.  -  247 

CHAPTCP.  XXVI. 
Wi*.  Worcesi  raudvrsit,         -  248 

Birth  - 

a  xxvii. 

Journey  to  Connecticut  In  1F94,  -  254 

i  of  Mr.  John  Iceland,  -  255 

neral  invitation,  -         . 

r  Lee,  -  - 

Meeting  at    his   raeetmg-housje,   text,  Sec.  -         -       ibid. 

- 
.  tfartfofd,  Conn.  - 

CHAPTER    XXYIIL 
Woburn,  -  -  - 

iury,  -  -  - 

:  of  discontent   there,  -  .... 

main  so,  -  . 

Removal  from  Salisbury  to   Woburn,         -  -        -        2*2 

Itecomuijudi.tion  fro  /,         -  8Tt 


X  GONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 

Fashionable  dress  for  dog-days,           -  2!T§ 

The  clergyman's  sounding-board,         -  277 

Installation  at  Woburn,  parade,           -  278 

Six  particulars  of  Woburn  affairs,         -  284 

CHAPTER  XXX. 

Mr.  Baldwin's  advice  to  remain  in  Woburn,         -  -         288 

Note  for   preaching  Calvinism,           -          -         -  -         239 

Settlement  with  the  people  in  Woburn,         -         -  -         290 

Removal  to  Salisbury,  - 291 

Manner  of  embracing  universalism,  and   renouncing  it, 

its  relation  to   Calvinism,        -  292 

Manner  of  giving  up  both,  for  the  doctrine  of  Christ,  294 

Situation  of  myself  and  family,  in  1802,         -        -  -         295 

CHAPTER  XXXI. 

Removal  to  Newmarket,  -  -  -  296 
Time  of  rejecting  all  names  for  the  name  Christian,  -  -298 
First  time  of  preaching  in  Portsmouth,  -  -  -  299 
Jfrse  ef  the  Christian  conference,  -  300 
Report  to  prevent  a  meeting  in  Portsmouth,  -  -  301 
Visit  and  conversation  with  Dr.  Buckminster,  -  -  303 
Remarkable  manifestation  in  the  night,  respecting  a  re- 
formation in   Portsmouth,         -         -        -         -  -   .     304 

CHAPTER  XXXII. 

Manner  of  discovering  the  hierarchy  of  the  clergy,  -         305 

Doctrine  of  the  Apostles  and  clergy  contrasted,  -         306 

Sermon  on  baptism  preached  and   printed,          -  -         308 

Articles  of  faith  written  and  printed,            -          -  -         309 

Sermon  on  Nebuchadnezzar's  dream  preached,   -  -         310 

CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

Removal  to  Portsmouth,           -          -           -  311 

Great  fire  in  Portsmouth,  first  time  of  baptising-,  -         312 

Reformation   in  the   singing  school,           -          -  -         313 
Gathering  of  the  first  church  called  christians,  and  first 

communion  in  the  court-house,          -  314 

Remarkable  exercise  of  mind  on  Sunday  morning,  -         3^5 

Mr.  Baldwin's  visit  to  Portsmouth,                        -  -         316 

Opposition  and  tumult  there,         ....  -         31T 

The  history  of  anti-christ  published,            -          -  -         31S 

The  lawyer  and  Salisbury  people,         -         -         -  319 

er  Abner  Jones'  first  visit  to  Portsmouth,        -  -         321 

Meetings  at  Kennebunk,          -  322 
Dr.  Stiilman's  objection  to  preaching  in   Boston, 

CHAPTER    XXXIV. 

Letter  to  a  brother  in  Boston,  -  - 

Mr.  Baldwin's   spirited  answer   and  contempt,  -        326 


CONTE  NTS.  XI 

Committee  to  shew  how  all  that  comes  to  pass  19  fore- 
ordained,        - "27 

Similitude  to  illustrate  the  committee  business,          -  328 

Meeting  and  revival  of  religion  in  Bradford,         -        -  329 

Plan  to  get  me  from  Portsmouth,  opposition  in  Boston,  330 

Violent  opposition  in  Roxbury,          -  332 

Mr.  Baldwin  speaks  against  that  way  before  the  people,  334 

Dr.  Stiilman's  harangue,  E.  L.  Boyd's  personal  orders,  335 

Church  meeting  in  Boston,  glory  departed,          -          -  336 

CHAPTER  XXXV. 

Recommendation  signed  by  Dr.  Shepard,            -          -  338 

First  company  called  christians  in  Boston,          -          -  338 

Letter  to  Dr,  Stillman,   visit  to   Freetown,           -        -  339 

Letter  from  the  Wobum  church,  letter  to  them,         -  340 

Seven  reasons  for  leaving  the  baptists,          -  $43 

Ordination  at  Northwood,  barn  council,         -         -         -  344 

Dr.Buckminster's  and  Mr.  Humphrey's  books  answered,  346 

The  man  in  the  smoke,  &c-                              *  ibid. 

First  thoughts  upon  the  destruction  of  the  wicked,     -  347 

Who  disturbed  by  preaching,  evil  reports,    &c.  -         -  34S 

Number  of  churches,  riot  in   Portsmouth,          -         -  349 

Mob  in  Paved-street,          -          -----  350 

Christian's  magazine  first  published,          -          -        -  353 

Second  visit  to  Freetown,  visit  to  Newport,         -         -  354 

Singular  dream  at  Newport,          -----  355 

Meeting  at  Middleborough,  deist  converted,        -        -  357 

CHAPTER    XXXVI. 

Journey   to   Gorham,   Gilmanton,   New-Durham,    first 

company  of  christians  in  Vermont,          -          -        -  358 

Number  of  churches   in  1806,            -           ...  360 

Death  of  my  father,  short  sermon  to  the  baptists,         -  361 

Support  from  promises,  and  revivals  of  religion,          -  3 §4 


CHAPTER  XXXVn. 

Separation  of  Dartmouth  church  from   the  baptists, 
First  visit  to  New-Bedford,         * 
Revival  of  religion  in  that  region, 
Groton  conference  at  Long-plain, 

Meeting  at  Rochester, 

First  proposal  for  publishing  the   Herald, 

Reformation  in  Chebacco,  scripture  for  infant  baptisnv 

Clergy  dismissed,  clergyman's  charge, 

End  of  the  Christian  conference, 

Twenty-two  sermons  on  prophecies  published. 


363 
367 
3Q8 
370 
S73 
374. 
375 
376 
378 
ibid. 


Xli  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 
Reformation  in  Portsmouth, 
Dream  of  the  stars,  - 

Compared  to  Satan,  though  of  Daniel's  men, 
Ordination  in  York,  tumult, 
Tumult  in  Hampton,  - 

Pirst  account  of  christians  in  Virginia, 
Opposition  from  printers  and  booksellers, 
Republican  discourse  at  Taunton,      \  -       ^ 


379 
380 

383 

ibid. 

384 
386 
387 
383 


CHAPTER   XXXIX. 

First  meeting  in  Portland,  first  christians  there,  *  389 

Removal  from  Portsmouth  to  Portland,        -        -         -  390 

First  journey  to  Philadelphia,  »''»;»  -  391 

Second  journey  to  Philadelphia,  removal  there,  -  S93 

Journey  tn  Virginia,  -  .....  ibid. 

New-testament  dictionary   published,  second  tour  to 

Virginia,  ....----  395 

Journey  from  Virginia  to  Woodstock,   Vt.  *        -  ibid. 

Journey  from  Vermont  to  Philadelphia,  troubles  there,  39§ 
Journey  from  Philadelphia  to  New-England,  distressed 

situation,  ------         •         -  397 

Sickness  in  Swanzey,  death  of  my  wife,       -  .398 

Mi*.  Benedict's  misrepresentation,  ...  399 

General  meeting   in  Danville,   journey  to    New-York, 

and  Connecticut,      -        - 401 

CHAPTER  XL. 

£lory  of  Christ,  solemn  protest,       ...        -  402 

Description  of  the  bible,  -  404 

Conclusion,  &c.  .......  £o* 


Hie  Life,  &c.  of  Elias  Smith. 
CHAPTER  L 

HOW  strange  a  thing  is  life  !  When  a 
man  considers  his  own  existence  ;  that  he  now 
is  ;  that  once  he  was  not  ;  that  he  had  a  be- 
ing before  he  knew  it  ;  that  his  existence 
shall  not  finally  cease,  but  continue  in  a  world 
without  end  ; — with  these  things  in  view,  he 
will  be  led  to  say,  "  I  will  praise  thee  ;  for  I 
am  fearfully  and  wonderfully  madfe  !"  If  the 
existence  of  an  individual  is  of  so  much  im- 
portance to  himself ;  what  must  that  be  of 
millions  in  every  age,  down  to  the  day  when, 
it  will  be  said,  that  "  time  shall  be  no  long- 
er !"  We  consider  the  existence  of  others 
but  small  ;  though  many  consider  their  own 
of  vast  importance  to  themselves,  and  many 
others.  Coftld  I  now  write  upon  myself  as  a 
creature  of  God  ;  as  one,  in  his  hand,  the  in- 
strument of  good  to  others  ;  the  subject  would 
to  me  be  pleasing,  and  to  others  profitable. 
In  this  way,  the  history  of  my  life,  would  be 
to  others,  an  account  of  the  glory  and  grace 
of  God  to  an  individual,  and  an  instructive 
lesson  to  all  who  shall  come  after  who  mav 
B 


14  LIFE    OF 

doubt,  or  be  ignorant  of  the  grace  of  him  who 
is  "  good  to  all  :  and  whose  tender  mercies 
are  over  all  his  works." 

It  is  my  intention  to  give  a  faithful  narra- 
tive of  my  life,  and  the  things  which  have  oc- 
rred,  so  far  as  my  memory  serves,  and  as 
the  documents  in  my  possession  will  enable 
me.     I  was  born  June  47*  1789,  in  the  town 
of  Lyme,  county  of   New-London,  state  of 
Connecticut.     My  father's  name  was  Stephen 
nith.     My  mother's  name  before  she  was 
ried,    was   Irene   Ransom.     They  were 
h  born  in  Lyme.     My  fathers  family  were 
anally  from   England  ;  my  mothers,   I 
re  been  told,  were  from  Wales.    My  moth- 
< :r  was  a  second  wife,  and  was  thirteen  years 
younger  than  my  father.     She  was  seventeen 
is  and  six  months  old  when  she  was  mar- 
1,  and  nineteen  years  old  the  month  I  was 
u,  being  her  first  child.     There  were  two 
?hers  and  two  sisters  besides.     One  sister 
lead,  and   my   father.     My  mother,  two 
brothers  ami  sister  now  live  in  Vermont.    My 
oldest  brother  is  a  preacher ;  the  other  a  phy- 
an.    Although  my  parents  were  never  rich, 
v  were  industrious,  and  maintained,  by 
their  righteous  lives,  the  honorable  character 
of  christians  ;  the  one  through  life,  the  other 
to  this  day. 

her  was  a  baptist  by  profession,  till 
cue  year  before  he  died.  He  was  baptized 
vv  hen  nineteen  years  old,  which  was  fifty  years 

Fore  his  death.     The  year  he  died,  a  chuz 
v.as  gathered  in  Woodstock,  Vt.  where  he  re- 


ELIAS    SMITH.  15 

sided,  which  was  called  by  the  ancient  name 
recorded  in  Acts  xi.  26,  Christians.  When 
confined  to  his  house,  he  ordered  his  name  re- 
corded with  the  others,  saying,  he  wished  all 
to  know  that  he  esteemed  the  name  of  Christ 
ahove  all  other  names  on  earth.  My  mother, 
who  was  first  a  congregaiionalist,  and  after- 
wards a  baptist,  became  a  member  of  the  same 
church,  and  to  this  day  remains  a  membev 
with  the  christian  brethren  in  that  town. 

re  are  almost  three  years  of  my  life,  that 
passed  away   without    retaining  any  trail 

of  it  in  my  memory.      80011  after  I 
was  horn,  my  fathers    mother,  gave  me  the 
namr-  Elias,  to  bear  up  the  name  of  a  son  J 
was  killed  in  some  part  of  the  state  of  New- 
York  in  the  French  Avar.     This  name  never 
pleased  me  :  and  I  often  wished   my  name 
had  been  some  other.     The  spring  before  I 
wTas  three  years  old,  my  father  moved  into  r 
new  house  which  he  had  built:  this  is  still  m 
my  memory,  from  a  particular  circumstance. 
A  little  girl  in  the  neighborhood,  five  yc 
old  was  at  play  with  me,  and  some  other 
few  rods  from  the  house  :  while  at  play, 
wanted  a  case  knife  I  called  mine,  which  1 
refused  to  give  her.     Soon  after  my  : 
she  with  a  slick  dug  a  large  hole  in  the  grou 
I  asked  her  what  she  dug  the  hole  for ; 
said,  to  plant  my  knife  ;  adding  that  if  I  pla 
ted  it,  the  knife  would  come  up,  and  I 
is  pleased  me  much,  as  I  had  seen  be 
i>w,  and  expected  that  in  the  course  of  a 

aid  hang  down  uu- 


16  LIFE    OF 

dcr  the  leaves  as  thick  as  bean  pods.  She 
planted  the  knife  with  my  consent ;  telling 
me  that  it  would  come  up  in  a  short  time. 
Believing  what  she  said,  I  waited  patiently 
for  my  knife  to  grow,  but  waited  in  vain,  and 
at  last  dug  after  it,  thinking  it  better  to  havo 
the  old  one,  than  to  wait  so  long  for  new  ones. 
5Not  finding  it,  I  told  her  the  knife  was  not 
there.  She  told  me,  it  had  fiallen  down 
through  the  ground  into  the  water,  and  was 
gone.  I  cried  aloud  at  my  loss,  and  deter- 
mined  never  to  plant  a  knife  again.  At  that 
time  my  reasoning  powers  were  not  strong  e- 
nough  to  tell  what  had  become  of  my  knife. 
At  last  I  concluded  it  had  come  up  by  the 
one  that  planted  it  ;  though  she  would  never 
acknowledge  the  charge  brought  against  her. 
This  deception,  and  loss,  afterwards  was 
some  benefit  to  me,  as  it  made  me  cautious  of 
the  flatteries  of  those  who  promised  me  what 
appeared  impossible  for  them  to  perform. 
This  simple  piece  of  my  history  contains  two 
things  for  my  readers — 1.  A  caution  to  such 
as  would  deceive  the  ignorant.  Be  careful 
not  to  mislead  those  who  are  not  capable  of 
discerning  between  truth  and  error.  This  at 
first  looks  strange,  that  a  child  three  years 
old  should  think  a  knife  would  grow.  The 
fact  is,  children  at  first  depend  on  what  oth- 
ers tell  them  :  therefore  tell  them  the  truth. 
flow  many  things  are  believed,  which  are  as 
impossible  as  for  a  case  knife  to  grow  : 
believed  because  one  older  has  said  so.  The 
doctrine   of  transubstaniiation,  or   that   ths 


ELIAS    SMITH.  17 

bread  and  wine  is  the  very  body  and  blood  of 
Christ  which  hung  on  the  cross,  is  a  decep- 
tion of  the  same  kind.  A  child — a  man  be- 
lieves it,  because  he  is  told  so ;  not  because, 
lie  has  any  evidence  it  is  so.  Telling  chil- 
dren and  grown  people,  that  a  little  water  put 
on  their  foreheads  by  a  minister  is  of  great 
importance  to  the  person,  is  the  same  as  plant- 
ing the  knife  :  there  is  no  fruit  of  either,  ex- 
cepting the  gain,  to  him  that  deceives  or  mis- 
leads the  ignorant.  2.  This  gives  a  caution 
to  such  as  do  not  know.  If  a  man  tells  y 
such  a  thing  is  true,  ask  him  for  the  proof, 
that  yon  may  act  the  rational  part  in  believing 
what  he  sir 

The  next  thing  retained  in  my 
a  circumstance  which  took  place  the  summer 
following,  when  four  years  old.     One  evening 
as  I  stood  by  my  father,  who  sat  in  the  door, 
there  came  a  bird,  called    (in   Connecticut) 
Whip-poor-will,   (or    WliipJo-will    :J    and 
lighted  near  us.    Being  pleased  with  the  bird, 
I  thought  nothing  more  was  needful  but  to 
reach  out  my  hand,  and  to  have  him  at  oi 
in  my  possession.     As  I  reached  out  my  h 
moderately,  to  take  him,  he  flew  a  few  feet, 
and  stood  still ;  this  encouraged  me  to  hope 
would  soon  be  mine.    AV  hen  I  came  nc<; 
he  flew  farther  than  before,  and  as   ? 
farther,  my  desire  to  obtain  him  incr 
after  treating  me  in  this   manner  i 
he  flew  far  from  me,  and  rising  in 
sung  such  a  song  as  taught  me  bis  liberty,  and 
folly  iu  attempting  to  make  him  a  captive. 


18  LIFE    OF 

By  this  time,  I  had  run  several  rods  from  the 
house,  and  found  myself  near  a  grove,  in  the 
dark,  far  from  my  father,  in  danger,  as  I  ap- 
prehended, and  to  heighten  my  trouble,  dis- 
appointed of  that  which  I  had  in  vain  run  for. 
My  trouble  and  disappointment  caused  me  to 
cry  aloud,  and  return  to  my  father,  who 
said  I  had  learnt,  never  to  run  after  a  bird 
that  could  fiy,  with  hope  of  catching  him,  be- 
cause I  wished  to  be  gratified  with  him  at  tho 
expence  of  his  liberty. 

This  little  circumstance,  although  grievous 
at  first,  in  a  few  years  afterwards  afforded 
me  many  profitable  lessons,  for  it  was  the 
whole  of  a  worldlings  life  in  miniature. 
Something  to  call  our  own,  is  the  first  thing  a 
child  desires,  and  is  what  a  man  wishes  for 
to  the  last  of  life.  It  would  appear  foolish 
to  any  man  of  sense,  to  see  a  little  boy  of  four 
years  old  running  with  the  vain  hope  of  catch- 
ing a  bird  with  the  use  of  his  wings ;  such 
folly,  and  greater  is  daily  seen,  and  seen  a- 
mong  those  who  would  be  wise.  This  was 
proved  to  me  before  I  was  fifteen  years  old. 
There  are  three  things  which  all  desire— 1. 
Riches,  2.  Honor,  3.  Pleasure.  The  course 
which  people  in  general  take  -to  obtain  these 
three  things,  is  the  same  as  that  taken  to  catch 
the  bird  ;  and  multitudes,  after  running  years 
for  nought,  and  in  vain,  say  this  is  not  the 
way  for  true  riches,  lasting  honor,  and  dura- 
ble pleasure. 

When  a  man,  young  or  old,  strives  to  ob- 
tain riches,  by  extortion,  oppressing  the  poor. 


ELIAS    SMITH.  19 

•r  depriving  the  Laborer  of  his  wages  ;  by 
gamins;,  lying,  or  stealing,  he  strives  to  obtain 
that  which  he  will  never  possess  in  peace.nor 
will  it  long  endure.  Such  riches  take  to 
themselves  wings  and  fly  away  as  the  eagle  j 
this  is  not  the  way  to  obtain  durable  riches. 
Isaiah  says,  "  As  a  partridge  sitteth  on  eggs, 
and  hatcheth  them  not,  so  he  that  getteth 
riches,  and  not  by  right,  shall  leave  them  in 
the  midst  of  his  days,  and  his  end  shall  be  a 
fool."  Solomon  says,  u  Wealth  gotten  by 
deceit  is  soon  wasted  ;  but  he  that  gathereth 
by  labor  shall  increase  in  riches." — "  He 
that  hasteth  to  be  rich  shall  not  be  innocent. 
He  that  is  greedy  of  gain,  troubleth  his  own 
house,  and  shall  inherit  the  wind."  He  may- 
have  the  air  to  breath  in,  though  confined 
within  the  grates.  When  I  see  such  men,  I 
say,  you  will  never,  in  this  way,  catch  the  bird. 
Thousands,  to  obtain  that  which  is  not  theirs 
by  right,  drown  themselves  in  destruction  and 
perdition,  through  the-love  of  that  which  is 
the  root  of  all  the  evils  they  endure. 

Honor,  is  another  thing  which  many  seek 
after  in  the  same  manner,  as  I  endeavored  to 
obtain  the  whip-Vwill.  Honor  signifies  res- 
pect, or  praise  from  others.  Sometimes  a 
young  man  thinks  he  shall  obtain  this,  by  gay 
clothing,  expensive  beyond  his  abilities  ;  by 
using  profane  language  at  the  beginning,  or  end 
of  almost  every  sentence  he  utters  ;  by  speak- 
ing lightly  of  his  father  or  mother  ;  by  treat- 
ing with  ridicule  public  worship,  the  bible, 
preachers,  or  those  who  fear  God  and  work 


SO  LiFE    OP 

righteousness  ;  by  glorying  in  being  free  from 
superstition  ;  and  considering  all  real  religion 
as  a  jest,  lit  only  for  the  lower  classes  of  peo- 
ple ;  by  becoming  a  noted  gambler,  or  shew- 
ing others  how  much  strong  drink  he  can  use 
without  being  intoxicated.  A  man  may  think 
to  obtain  honor  in  this  way ;  but  such  an  one 
in  this  way,  will  never  obtain  what  he  seeks 
for  ;  it  will  fly  far  from  him.  Such,  in  that 
course,  live  to  see  themselves  sunk  in  disgrace, 
lamenting,  when  too  late,  that  the  object  they 
pursued  is  gone  far  from  them,  while  they  are 
left  in  the  dark,  to  mourn  their  folly  in  trying 
to  obtain  that  which  never  came  in  the  way 
y  sought  after  it.  Some  young  women 
think  to  obtain  respect  among  their  own  sex, 
or  the  other,  by  gay  attire,  needless  ornaments, 
too  much  talk,  frequent  visits  to  the  neglect 
of  business  ;  by  thinking  if  a  reproach  to  work 
with  their  hands  ;  by  frequenting"  balls,  and 
despising  sobriety,  and  other  mental  female 
ornaments.  Do  they  obtain  honor  in  this 
way?  No  ;  it  flies  away  forever,  and  they 
mourn  at  the  last  ;  retire  to  live  unseen  and 
almost  unknown,  or  die  with  grief.  A  female 
character,  when  once  gone,  is  like  a  broken 
looking-glass,  which  can  never  be  made  whole. 
Should  this  book  fall  into  the  hands  of  any 
of  this  description,  or  any  who  may  think  of 
obtaining  honor  in  this  way  ;  remember,  th 
whatever  parade  and  shew  women  may  make 
abroad,  their  real  worth  is  known  only  at 
home.  Some  who  are  settled  in  life,  think  of 
obtaining  honor  by   extravagance  iu  dress 


ELIAS    SMITH.  Si 

high  living,  beyond  their  income,  and  by  a 
great  appearance  ;  remember,  you  will  obtain 
respect  among  none  but  such  people,  and  such 
people  are  fools,or  they  would  never  be  pleas- 
ed with  such  extravagant,  foolish  and  hurtful 
things. 

Pleasure,  is  another  thing  sought  for  in  the 
same  way.  Thousands  of  men  and  women 
have  become  poor,  wretched,  miserable,  blind 
and  naked,  by  endeavoring  to  please  them- 
selves with  that  which  is  out  of  their  reach. 
Solomou  says,  "  He  that  loveth  pleasure  shall 
be  a  poor  man."  Many  seek  for  that  which 
they  think  would  please  them,  whether  it  is 
right  or  wrong,  acting  according  to  their  in- 
clination, and  not  according  to  what  is  duty. 
If  duty  and  inclination  are  not  in  harmony,  we 
should  always  follow  what  is  duty,  and  though 
it  may  be  disagreeable  at  first,  it  will  be  pleas- 
ing in  the  end.  It  is  better  to  mourn  and  be 
comforted,  than  to  receive  our  consolation  first, 
and  mourn  at  the  last.  The  pleasures  of  sin 
are  only  for  a  season,  and  they  are  never  real. 
How  many  have  sacrificed  richqs  and  honor 
on  the  altar  of  sinful  pleasures,  and  in  the 
end  been  destitute  of  them  all  ! 

The  way  to  obtain  riches  in  this  world,  is 
to  gather  by  labor,  looking  to  God  for  his 
blessing  on  our  labor.  Honor  among  good 
men  is  obtained  by  doing  to  others,  as  you 
would  have  them  do  to  you.  Pleasure  here 
is  obtained  only  in  eschewing  evil  and  follow- 
ing that  which  is  good.  Durable  riches  are 
obtained  only  by  obedience  to  him  who  di- 


S3"  LIFE   OF 

rects  us  to  lay  up  treasure  in  heaven.  Lasting" 
honor  is  only  to  such  as  honor*  Christ ;  such 
his  Father  will  honor  here,  and  hereafter. 
Pleasures  durable,  are  enjoyed  only  by  such 
as  rejoice  in  God,  and  live  to  him;  such  shall 
have  pleasures  forevermore. 

The  summer  I  was  four  years  old  was  the 
first  of  my  being  sent  to  school  ;  what  pro- 
gress I  made,  is  now  unknown  to- me  ;  how- 
ever by  the  time  I  was  six  or  seven  years  old, 
I  could  read  some  in  the  New-Testament.  It 
was  a  practice  in  that  pari  of  Connecticut,  at 
that  time,  to  send  young  children  to  the  school 
three  months  in  the  summer,,  and  three  months 
in  the  winter.  Boys  of  eleven  or  twelve 
years  old.  generally  were  sent  to  school  only 
in  the  winter,  My  father  took  much  pains  to 
have  his  children  attend  the  school  when 
they  could  ;  he  many  times  carried  me  more 
than  one  mile  on  his  back,  when  the  snow 
was  so  deep  I  could  not  walk.  Once  I  was 
chastised  for  being  unwilling  to  attend  school 
because  desirous  to  see  an  uncle  who  came 
to  visit  us.     From  my  first  learning  to  read, 

ad  a  pleasure  in  learning.     My  memory 

s  nevef  quick,  but  strong  to  retain  what  I 
nt.     After  ten  years  old  I  attended  school 

rough  every  winter,  till  the  winter  before  I 
was  thirteen  vears  old.  ^Since  that  time,  I 
have  been  at  school  thirty  days  to  learn  Bil- 

>rth*s  grammar;  ten  days  to  learn  arithme- 
tic  a*id  eight  evenings  to  learn  music. 

When  about  five  years  old,  the  War  between 
.England  and  America  was  il  This 


ELIAS    SMITH.  23 

was  distressing  to  me  ;  as  my  father  lived  in 
sight  of  Long-Island  Sound,  where  I  often 
saw  the  British  ships  of  war,  saw  the  smoke 
of  their  cannon,  and  heard  their  terrifying  re- 
port. I  was  six  rears  old  the  day  the  battle 
on  Bunker- Hill  was  fought.  This  news  came 
to  us  in  a  short  time,  and  terribly  alarmed  me, 
as  I  supposed  death  would  be  certain  to  us  all  \ 
and  some  young  sons  of  what  was  then  call- 
ed tories,  affrighted  me,  by  telling  what  the 
regulars  would  soon  do  to  the  rebels.  Though 
I  did  not  know  the  meaning  of  tory,  regular, 
rebel — yet  there  was  fixed  at  that  time  a  root- 
ed aversion  to  the  two  first  words,  as  I  thought 
it  meant  such  as  would  kill  us,  or  encourage 
others  to  do  it.  This  aversion  has  remained 
to  this  day.  And  though  my  hatred  to  tories 
and  regulars  is  gone,  yet  an  aversion  to  their 
principles  remain  to  this  day. 

About  this  time,  I  began  to  think  of  my- 
self, what  I  was,  and  how  my  existence  came. 
There  was  a  certain  something  that  shewed 
me  what  was  right,  and  what  was  wrong,  and 
that  something  saemed  to  speak  to  me,  and 
blame  me  for  what  I  thought,  designed,  said, 
w  did,  that  was  wrong.     Righteousness  was 
revealed  to  me,though  there  was  then  no  name  I 
knew  to  call  it  by.     It  seemed  at  certain  times 
to  bring  before  me  all  ever  done  wrong  ;  to 
shew  me  that  I  was  in  a  dangerous  situation.and 
that  same  something  taught  me  that  in  some 
e  to  come,  my  wickedness  would  be  brought 
inst  me.      This    troubled  me  greatly ;  so 
ofteu  I  would  take  my   spelling-book. 


24*  LITE    OF 

which  had  a  form  of  prayer  in  it,  and  go  to 
the  barn,  and  read  it  with  weeping,  hoping 
that  by  this  my  sins  which  were  committed  a- 
gainst  my  parents,  and  others,  might  be  for- 
given. I  often  heard  my  parents  speak  of 
Christ,  and  as  they  sometimes  had  preaching 
at  their  house,  it  gave  me  an  opportunity  to 
hear  baptist  ministers  pray,  preach,  sing  and 
converse.  Many  things  they  said,  I  laid  up 
in  my  memory,  and  retain  them  to  this  day. 
The  things  they  said,  as  to  futurity,  had  a 
deep  and  lasting  impression  on  my  mind,  as  I 
believed  they  spake  the  truth.  I  used  often 
to  listen,  hoping  to  hear  what  that  was  that  so 
often  told  me  I  was  wrong,  and  seemed  to 
blame  me  for  it.  After  several  years,  I  was 
told  by  some  that  it  was  the  "light  of  nature." 
Some  said  it  was  "  natural  conscience  ;"  but 
WThen  I  read  the  scripture  account,  I  found  it  to 
be  the  spirit  or  influence  of  the  eternal  God 
on  my  mind  ;  called  by  John,  "  the  true  light 
which  lisrhteth  everv  man  that  cometh  into  the 
world."  John  i.  9.  This  light  shined  in 
darkness,  and  the  darknessxomprehended  it 
not.  I  knew  the  light,  but  did  not  know  what 
it  was  at  first,  nor  from  whence  it  came.  Not 
far  from  this  time,  the  northern  lights  were 
frequently  seen.  These  greatly  alarmed  ma- 
ny of  the  old  and  young,  as  they  thought  them 
ftigns  of  the  end  of  the  world.  Being  young 
and  ignorant,  I  was  alarmed  at  that  which 
alarmed  others,  supposing  they  knew  when 
there  was  danger  and  when  there  was  not. 
Every  thing  that  had  the  appearance  of  dan- 


ELIA3    SMITH.  £3 

ger  troubled  me  ;  for  the  wicked  are  in  fear 
when  no  fear  is,  and  much  more  when  they 
see  themselves  exposed.  Thunder  and  light- 
ning terrified  me,  as  I  thought  my  life  was  in 
danger ;  believing  if  I  died  a  sinner,  ruin  was 
certain  to  me.  Many  times  before  I  was  eight 
years  old,  I  lay  awake  till  late,  thinking  what 
would  become  of  me,  and  sometimes  wished 
I  had  never  existed  ;  or  that  I  had  been  any 
tiling  but  an  accountable  creature.  From 
these  things,  I  am  certain  that  the  Creator  nev- 
er neglects  his  creatures,  till  they  long,  and 
wickedly  neglect  him  ;  nor  are  the  nations  left 
in  the  dark  as  many  suppose.  Light  has  coiae 
into  the  world,  and  men,  young  and  old  are 
condemned,  because  they  love  darkness  rath- 
er than  light.  (John,  iii.  19.)  It  is  now  plain 
to  me  what  caused  me  to  be  troubled  as  a  sin- 
ner, which  was  this  :  Ji  clear  manifestation 
of what  was  right ,  and  a  strong  inclination 
and  fixed  determination  for  that  icJiick  teas 


CHAPTER  II. 

There  is  one  circumstance  which  took  place 
when  I  was  not  far  from  eight  years  old, 
which  I  think  proper  to  mention  as  a  part  of 
my  life,  for  others  to  be  acquainted  with, 
which  shall  be  related  according  to  the  best 
of  my  remembrance  :  that  is  my  being  sprink- 
led, or  baptised,  as  some  call  it.  My  father 
was  a  baptist,  and  did  not  believe  insprink- 
C 


26  LIFE    OF 

ling  children  nor  grown  people  ;  my  niothe* 
at  that  time,  was  what  was  then  called  a  new- 
light  congregationalist  ;  and»  so  was  her 
mother,  sister,  and  all  her  brethren,  excepting 
one,  who  was  a  baptist  preacher.  Some  time 
before  she  had  her  three  children  sprinkled, 
her  baptist  brother  came  to  visit  her ;  before 
he  left  her,  she  asked  him  about  having  her 
children  sprinkled:  he,  in  a  very  grave  man- 
ner, asked  her  this  question,  "  Row  would  you 
have  them  sprinkled  ?"  She  replied,  "  As  oth- 
er people  do."  "As  other  people  rfo/'said  he, 
"is  this  all  P"  These  questions  gave  her 
such  a  shock,  that  she  said  no  more  upon  the 
subject  to  him.  In  consequence  of  this,  the 
ceremony  was  omitted  a  year  or  two.  Be- 
fore it  was  done,  her  eldest4  brother  came  to 
see  her,  who  was  a  strong  advocate  for  sprink- 
ling children.  In  the  course  of  their  conver- 
sation, (my  father  being  absent,)  while  the 
three  children  were  in  the  house,  he  said  in 
my  hearing ;  "  sister,  I  wonder  you  do  not 
have  your  children  baptized,  and  not  bring 
them  up  like  heathens."  She  said,  "your 
brother,  you  know  is  a  baptist,  and  will  hot 
assist  me  in  doing  it,  and  so  it  is  neglected." 
He  told  her  he  would  assist  if  she  would 
bring  her  children  to  the  meeting-house  ;  and 
they  agreed  on  the  time  when  it  should  be 
done.  This  troubled  me  not  a  little  ;  though 
I  was  determined  never  to  submit  to  it.  In 
the  evening  my  father  returned  from  his  la- 
bor, and  my  mother  related  to  him  what  she 
and  my  uncle  had  agreed  upon.     He  told  her 


ELI  AS    SMITH.  2/ 

lie  should  not  forbid  it,  nor  assist  her  in  hav- 
ing the  children  sprinkled,  though  he  would 
go" to  the  meeting  with  her,  and  help  get  the 
children  there.  This  was  all  she  desired  ; 
so  the  matter  ended  at  that  time.  The  hor- 
ror of  the  scene  soon  wore  off,  and  I  almost 
forgot  that  any  such  thing  was  to  be  done  to 
me. 

Some  time  after  this,  my  mother  told  me  on 
Sunday  morning,  that  we  were  all  going  to 
meeting  that  day.  This  at  first  gave  me  joy, 
as  I  had  an  anxious  desire  to  see  my  cousins 
who  attended  that  meeting.  Soon  after,  the 
thought  of  being  sprinkled  passed  through  my 
mind  and  greatly  u^Hipcd  inyjoy ;  but  con-* 
eluded  to  go  cheerfully  and  escape  from  the 
meeting-house,  before  the  business  came  on. 
We  were  all  dressed  as  well  as  circumstances 
in  life  would  allow ;  my  mother,  and  two 
younger  brothers  rode  on  an  horse,  and  I 
wralked  with  my  father  to  the  destined  place, 
which  was  about  three  miles.  My  heart  was 
filled  with  joy  to  find  my  relations  I  had  so 
much  wished  to  see.  As  soon  as  the  forenoon 
meeting  was  done,  we  went  into  an  orchard, 
that  was  near,  and  spent  the  time  as  best  pleas- 
ed ourselves  ;  till  it  was  time  to  return  to 
the  afternoon  meeting.  When  we  came  up  to 
the  meeting-house  dcor,  I  observed  a  li 
bason  of  water  standing  before  the  pui 
which  gave  me  a  terrible  shock  ;  my  enqii 
at  once  was,  what  is  that  bason  there  fc 
My  cousin  who  was  older,  and  had  seen  more 
of  the  world,  said,  "  that  is  to  ch 


28  LIFE    OF 

dren,  you  will  be  christened  this  afternoon." 
I  said,  no,  I  will  not  be  christened,  I  will  go 
home,  and  turned  to  run.     He  said,  stop,  sit 
with  me,  and  when  the  minister  comes  down 
to  do  it,  I  will  let  you  oat.     Having  obtain- 
ed this  promise  from  him,  I  went  in  and  sat 
very  uneasy,  watching  every  motion  of  the 
minister,  with  my    hat  in  my  h^nd,  ready  for 
a  flight,  on  the  shortest  notice  ;  at  last  he  came 
down  ;  at  that  instant  my  cousin  touched  the 
pew  door,   which  opened,   and  I  endeavored 
immediately  to  make  my  escape ;  though  it 
Was.  to  no  purpose.     My  uncle  pursued,  and 
soon  overtook,   and  brought  me  back.     I  at- 
tempted  in  vain  to  escape  from  him  \  as  he 
threatened  me  severely.     Notwithstanding  all 
my  exertions,  I  was  brought  in  front  of  the 
bason ;  and  was  so  confined,  hands  and  feet, 
that  I  was  obliged  to  receive  what  they  called 
the  seal  cf  the  covenant.     I  felt  such  malice 
against  the  minister  and  my  uncle,  that  had 
my  strength    been  equal    to  my  desire,   we 
should  all  have  been  like  Sampson  and  the 
Phillistines,  with  the  house  about  our  ears. 
My  mother  was  greatly  mortified  at  my  stub- 
bornness, and  I  at  that   which  caused  it.     I 
wiped  off  what  they  called  the  seal,  in  such  a 
manner  as  conviuced  all  the  spectators  that 
the  compelled  was  greatly  enraged.     My  oth- 
er brothers  being  younger,  received  this  mark 
in  their  foreheads  without  making  any  resis- 
tance.    This  account  of  sprinkling  a  child  by 
force,  has  a  very  different  appearance  from 
that  recorded  in  "the  New-Testament,  where 


ELIAS    SMITH. 

we  read  that  believers  in  Christ  voluntarily 
submitted  to  him,  when  buried  with  him  in 
baptism,  and  raised  to  walk  in  newness  of 
life.  Many  children  have  shewn  the  same 
opposition  to  this  invention  of  men,  which  is 
soon  to  perish  in  the'using. 

The  spring  before  I  was  nine  years  old, 
my  father  went  to  the  east  part  of  the  town, 
within  ten  miles  of  New- London,  with  his 
family,  to  live  on  a  farm  belonging  to  a  wid- 
ow.  In  this  place  he  lived  two  years.  In 
this  part  of  the  town  I  became,  in  a  small  de- 
gree, acquainted  with  the  people  called  h 
tists,  with  whom  my  father  belonged.  The 
preacher's  name  was  Jason  Lee,  a  worthy, 
good  man  ;  and  one  the  Lord  owned  abun- 
dantly as  a  preacher  of  the  everlasting  gos- 
pel. In  the  time  my  father  lived  here,  there 
was  a  very  great  out-pouring  of  the  spirit  of 
God,  among  old  and  young.  Elder  Lee,  was 
the  first  person  I  ever  saw  baptize  according 
%  the  New-Testament.  This  was  the  Sum- 
mer I  was  nine  years  old.  The  circumstan- 
ces of  it,  I  well  remember,  which  were 
following  :  At  noon,  the  minister  and  congre- 
gation walked  about  one  mile  to  a  large  stream, 

.«e  people  stood  on  each  side,  appearing 
very  solemn.  I  stood  near  where  lie  was  to 
baptize;  and  after  speaking  upon  bapi! 
and  praying  in  a  devout  raannev,  lie  took  ti 
young  mau  by  the  hand,  and  led  him  fr&efe 
the  water  was  of  a  sufficient  depth,,  and  stand - 

; — lifted  up  his  eyes  to  heaven  and  : 

iu  obedience  to  the  great  King  and  head  of 
C2 


30  LIFE    OF 

the  Church  I  baptize  thee  in  the  name  of  th& 
Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost," — and  then 
put  him  gently  down  under  the  water,  and, 
raising  him  out,  led  him  to  the  land.  As  the 
young  man  Walked  out  of  the  water,  with  a 
cheerful  countenance,  he  said — U  Tue  wond- 
ering world  inquire  to  know  ;  why  I  should 
love  my  Jesus  so."  This  fell  with  great 
weight  on  my  mind,  as  I  believed  him  happy, 
though  I  could  not  tell  what  was  the  cause  of 
his  happiness. 

Next  the  minister  took  another  younger 
than  the  first.  This  alarmed  me,  as  I  fear- 
ed he  might  take  me  next,  not  knowing  but 
he  took  some  by  force,  as  the  other  minister 
did.  Placing  myself  where  I  thought  h& 
would  not  take  me,  I  viewed  the  whole  with 
admiration,  thinking  why  a  young  person 
should  be  willing  thus  to  be  put  under  water. 

This  summer  and  the  following:,  there  wat 
a  general  reformation  through  the  town.  Jft 
great  number  of  people,  young  and  old,  w^% 
evidently  converted  to  the  Lord  :  and  though 
my  affections  were  fixed  on  things  earthly, 
yet  I  was  convinced  that  others  had  that 
which  was  as  needful  for  mc  as  them.  The 
meetings  this  and  the  following  summer  often 
continued  till  midnight;  while  the  exhortations 
and  prayers  of  the  young  people  took  great 
hold  of  my  mind,  and  often  brought  me  to 
pray  that  1  might  be  a  sharer  with  them. 
These  things,  with  the  alarm  of  war,  which 
we  frequently  heard  from  New-London  and 
other  parts,  led  me  often  to  think  of  m; 


ELIAS    SMITH.  31 

done  situation,  and  to  wish  for  that  which  I 
was  unwilling  to  have  at  the  loss  of  sinful 
pleasures.  The  aversion  to  religion,  which  I 
had.  in  consequence  of  being  sprinkled  l>y 
force,  was  a  great  hurt  to  my  young  mind  : 
and  on  that  account,  though  willing  to  hear,  I 
would  not  say  one  word,  when  any  person 
spake  to  me  of  the  importance  of  a  part  in 
Christ.  That  same  kind  reprover,  which 
taught  me  when  only  five  or  six  years  old, 
coutinued  at  times  to  reprove  me  of  sin,  right- 
eousness and  judgment,  until  brought  to  ex- 
perience the  washing  of  regeneration  and  the 
renewing  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

In  the  spring  of  the  year,  1789,  when  in 
my  eleventh  year,  my  father  hired  a  farm  of 
Capt.  John  Robinson,  iu  Hebron,  thirty  miles 
from  Lyme  ;  he  carried  his  family  there  Li 
April,  and  lived  there  over  two  years.  In  this 
time  my  mind  was  strongly  inclined  to  sinful 
pleasures,  though  I  never  used  bad  language, 
nor  conducted  so  as  to  be  considered  an  exam- 
ple of  wickedness.  In  this  town,  in  the  winter 
of  1/82,  I  had  my  last  schooling,  excepting 
forty  days  and  eight  evenings  in  the  state  of 
Vermont.  My  knowledge  of  letters  was  such 
as  to  be  able  to  read  the  bible  some,though  I  did 
not  know  the  meaning  of  a  comma,  semicolon, 
colon,  period,  note  of  interrogation,  admira- 
tion, nor  any  other  mark  used  in  reading. 
These  things  were  not  then  taught  in  country 
schools.  My  proficiency  in  writing  was 
*  ill;  arithmetic,  I  was  entirely  ignorant  of, 
1  it  that  time  had  never  heard  of  a  book 


SS  LIFE    OF 

called  Dictionary.  In  the  course  of  these  two 
years,  my  mind  was  many  times  greatly  alarm- 
ed, on  account  of  the  distresses  of  war ;  which 
I  read  in  the  newspapers,  which  I  had  never 
seen  till  then.  The  distress  at  the  taking  of 
GrotGii  Fort,  when  about  seventy  women 
were  made  widows  in  one  day ;  burning  of 
New -London  by  the  British,  and  Royalton, 
(Vt.)  by  the  Indians,  with  the  signs  in  the 
heavens,  solemn  preaching,  which  I  some- 
times heard,  and  oftentimes  a  sense  of  the  un- 
certainty of  my  own  life  ;  all  these  things  at 
times  brought  me  to  the  borders  of  despair, 
and  led  me  to  fear  that  I  w*as  given  over  to^ 
hardness  of  heart,  and  blindness  of  mind. 
Being  naturally  of  a  bashful,  timid  make,  I 
never  conversed  much  upon  any  subject,  with 
young  or  old.  Many  times  I  refused  to  go 
into  company,  because  I  could  not  think  of 
any  thing  to  say  ;  and  often  wondered  how 
other  people  could  always  think  of  so  much 
to  say  as  they  did,  when  it  was  not  in  my 
power  to  do  the  same.  It  was  never  difficult 
to  think  of  enough  to  meditate  upon,  though  I 
had  nothing  to  say.  My  final  conclusion  was 
that  I  had  not  common  sense,  and  so  the  mat- 
ter lias  stood  to  this  day  ;  for  the  same  diffi- 
culty, as  to  common  conversation  has  attend- 
ed me  till  now.  One  thing  occurred  in  the 
summer  of  1781,  which  is  worthy  of  notice. 
My  father  and  his  family  generally  attended 
a  baptist  meeting  in  Jindover,  about  three 
miles  from  where  we  lived,  at  the  house  of  an 
old  man  by  the  name  of  \ltherton.     Thfs 


ELIAS    SMITH.  S3 

meeting  I  generally  attended.  In  August,  af- 
ter I  was  twelve  years  old,  wTe  heard  that  a 
young  man  was  to  preach  there  by  the  name 
of  William  Grow,  from  Abington,  in  Con- 
necticut. My  desire  to  hear  him  was  very 
great,  I  walked  on  foot  early  to  hear  all  he 
preached.  In  the  forenoon  he  preached  in 
the  house ;  how  he  preached,  I  do  not  now 
remember.  The  assembly  was  so  large  in  the 
afternoon,  that  the  meeting  was  held  in  the 
orchard.  Every  thing  about  the  preacher 
drew  my  attention  to  him.  He  was  young, 
decently  dressed,  had  a  melodious  and  com- 
manding voice  ;  his  being  in  early  life  engage 
ed  in  preaching  Christ  ;  haying  left  all  for 
him ;  all  these  things  led  me  to  admire  him. 
I  considered  him  the  happiest  man  on  earth, 
and  one  whom  God  delighted  to  honor.  I  do 
not  now  remember  his  text,  but  remember  his 
subject  and  believe  shall,  so  long  as  my  mem- 
ory retains  any  thing.  It  was  this—-  The 
glory  of  Christ,  as  the  judge  of  the  world." 
His  description  of  Christ  was  new  to  me,  and 
glorious  beyond  all  I  had  ever  heard  before. 
He  described  him  from  the  manger  to  the 
cross  ;  from  the  cross  to  the  throne,  and  from 
the  throne  to  the  judgment-seat.  *  After  de- 
scribing the  glory  of  Christ  in  a  manner  to 
me  then  beyond_a!l  I  had  ever  imagined,  he 
si\id  : 

ver  g-!ono7>s  is  my  lord  ; — Must  be  belov'J  and  yet  cdcr\l  ; 
if  a1!  the  twtigns  knew  ; — Sure  the  -whole  earth  ivould 
him  too." 

When  lie  came  to  describe  the  last  judg- 
t,    1    seemed  for  a  while   to  forget  the- 


34?  LI?E    OF 

preacher,  myself,  and  every  thing  earthly. 
O,  to  what  a  pitch  of  wonder,  grief,  and  de- 
sire was  my  mind  wrought  up,  when  he  de- 
scribed the  state  of  the  immortal  saints,  at  the 
time  Christ  will  say,  "  Come  ye  blessed  of 
my  father,  inherit  the  kingdom  prepared  for 
you  from  the  foundation  of  the  world  V9  Then 
(said  he)  it  will  be  glory  to  God :  glory  to 
Christ:  glory  to  angels  ;  glory  to  the  apos- 
tles ;  glory  to  martyrs  ;  glory  to  saints ;  glory 
to  parents  ;  and  glory  to  William  GvowP 
O  how  these  things  sounded  in  my  ears,  and 
to  my  heart !  In  all  this  glory,  there  was 
none  mentioned  for  me,  as  I  was  neither 
of  the  characters  he  described  who  would 
share  in  that  glory.  The  solemnity  which 
these  things  brought  on  my  mind  remained 
long  ;  and  were  never  wholly  worn  off,  un- 
til I  found  peace  in  believing.  It  so  happen- 
ed, that  the  same  preacher,  almost  seven  years 
after,  baptized  me  in  the  town  of  Woodstock, 
Vermont 


CHAPTER  III. 

In  the  spring  of  1783,  my  father  sold  what 
property  he  had  in  Lyme,  intending  to  pur- 
chase land  in  Woodstock.  In  April  he  set 
out  for  Vermont,taking  my  oldest  brother  with 
him.  He  purchased  one  hundred  acres  of 
land  in  the  south  part  of  Woodstock,  made 
what  preparation  he  could  for  the  convenience 
of  his  famfiy,  and  leaving  my  brother,  return- 


BLIAS    SMITH.  35 

ed  home  in  June,  to  make  ready  to  carry  his 
family  there  before  winter.  Some  time  in  the 
month  of  August  of  that  year,  we  commenced 
the  journey  of  one  hundred  and  eighty  miles, 
which  we  performed  in  thirteen  days.  The 
thought  of  going  the  journey  was  peculiarly 
pleasing  to  me,  as  I  had,  from  my  first  re- 
membrance, a  constant  desire  to  see  more  of 
the  world  than  wras  in  sight  of  my  father's 
house.  Although  I  was  obliged  to  walk  al- 
most the  whole  way,  yet  my  mind  was  so 
gratified  in  seeing  new  towns,  large  villages, 
elegant  buildings,  magnificent  bridges,  lofty 
mountains  and  deep  vallies,  that  the  fatigue 
of  walking  was  small,  compared  to  the  plea- 
sure these  things  afforded  me.  On  Saturday, 
after  passing  through  dismal  swamps,  ascend- 
ing and  descending  terrible  hills,  where  the 
roads  seemed  at  first  impassible,  we,  to  our 
great  joy,  arrived  at  the  town  we  set  out  for, 
which  was  represented  to  me  as  resembling 
the  land  of  Canaan  ;  a  land  of  hills  and  val- 
lies, flowing  with  milk  and  honey.  The  first 
part  I  found  true,  for  the  country  appeared  to 
be  hills  and  vallies,  and  this  was  not  an  im- 
aginary appearance,  for  so  it  remains  in  that 
part  of  the  country,  to  this  day. 

The  Monday  after  our  arrival,  I  sat  out 
from  w  here  we  put  up,  with  my  father,  moth- 
er, brothers  and  sisters,  and  several  of  the 
neighbors,  with  our  goods,  to  go  to  the  house 
wre  were  in  future  to  make  the  place  of  our 
abode.  AVe  had  about  two  miles  to  go  ;  the 
first  mile  we  went  without  much  difficulty  ; 


36  LIFE    OF 

this  brought  us  to  the  foot  of  an  hill  which  we 
were  to  ascend  to  get  to  the  house.  A  con- 
siderable part  of  this  mile,  a  cart  had  never 
been.  It  took  us  till  sometime  in  the  after- 
noon, to  cut  away  the  logs  and  stumps  so  that 
the  team  could  pass  along.  After  many  sweats 
and  hard  pulls,  my  father  pointed  us  to  the 
house,  about  forty  rods  ahead,  the  sight  of 
which  struck  a  damp  on  my  spirits,  as  it  ap- 
peared to  me  only  an  abode  of  wretchedness. 
Alter  going  to  it  and  taking  a  general  view  of 
the  house  and  land  around,  before  the  team 
came  up,  I  determined  within  myself  to  re- 
turn to  Connecticut  ;  thinking  it  better  to  be 
there  to  dig  clams  for  my  living,  than  to  be  in 
such  a  place.  I  was  disappointed,  grieved, 
vexed  and  mad,  to  think  of  living  in  such  a 
place.  Though  I  was  some  over  thirteen 
years,  I  cried  ;  part  of  the  time  because  I  was 
disappointed,  and  sometimes  for  madness. 
With  this  fixed  determination  to  return,  I 
wrent  down  to  the  team,  and  passed  by  the 
team  down  the  steep  and  dismal  hill  as  fast 
as  possible.  My  father,  observing  my  rapid 
course,  called  after  me,  asking  me  where  I 
was  going  ;  and  commanded  me  to  return  to 
him.  I  feared  to  disobey  him  and  returned. 
He  asked  me  where  I  was  going  ;  my  reply 
was,  to  Connecticut.  He  ordered  me  to  re- 
turn. This  order  I  obeyed,  though  with  great 
reluctance,  as  it  appeared  to  me  better  to  die 
than  be  confined  to  such  a  place. 

I  will  now  give  my  readers  a  correct  de- 
scription of  the  place  which  was  so  dreadful 


ELIAS    SMITH.  8? 

to  mr.  The  dwelling  place  stood  on  the 
Hurth  side  of  a  very  large  hill,  half  ft  mile  from 
any  house.  Around  the  house,  (as  it  wai 
called.)  there  were  twelve  acres  of  land,  that 
the  trees  were  cut  down  and  lay  in  different 
directions,  excepting  a  small  place  where  tin* 
house  stood.  There  was  no  way  to  look,  to 
see  far,  without  looking  up,  as  the  trees  around 
prevented  seeing  any  house  or  cleared  land, 
in  any  direction  whatever.  The  house  was 
made  of  split  bass-wood  logs,  locked  together 
at  the  corners.  There  was  no  floor  to  the 
house,  nor  was  there  any  roof  to  it.  The 
grass  had  grown  up  within  these  wooden 
walls,  and  there  was  one  large  stump  in  the 
middle  ef  the  house,  which,  to  heighten  my 
trouble  as  I  thought,  my  father  said  would  do 
for  a  light  stand.  We  made  a  lire  by  the 
side  of  a  log  :  cooked  some  dinner,  and  let 
our  horse  eat  down  the  grass  in  the  house,  be- 
fore we  prepared  it  for  a  lodging  place  for  a 
night.  My  father  had  prepared  boards  for  a 
chamber  floor,  and  shingles  for  the  roof  ;  but 
had  net  time  to  put  them  on  before  he  return- 
ed. The  shingles  consisted  of  brown  ash 
bark,  eight  feet  long,  and  from  four  to  six 
feet  wide.  We  corded  up  our  bedsteads  on 
the  ground  ;  and  before  night,  placed  over  our 
heads  several  of  those  large  pieces  of  bark, 
and  at  night,  without  any  floor  but  the  ground, 
having  no  door,  with  a  few  pieces  of  bark 
over  our  heads  to  keep  off  the  dew,  we  lay 
down  to  sleep  and  all  rested  quietly  till  morn* 
ing, 

D 


8S  LIFE    OF 

The  next  day,  my  father  and  several  win 
who  understood  building  log  houses,  put  on  a 
roof  of  bark,  and  split  bass  wood  logs,  (lining 
the  edges,)  and  laid  them  down  for  a  floor. 
After  being  laid  down,  they  were  smoothed 
some  with  an  adze  ;  this  Avas  some  rough, 
but  better  than  none.  We  set  up  three  large 
flat  stones  for  jambs  and  the  back  of  our  tire-, 
place,  and  laid  an  hearth  in  uniform  with  the 
other  parts.  At  that  time  the  town  wras  new, 
the  people  but  few,  and  in  general  not  very 
rich.  There  was  not  theu,  to  my  remem- 
brance, but  two  framed  houses  in  the  town ; 
one  stood  on  the  ground  now  called  the  green, 
near  where  the  court-house,  jail,  meeting- 
house and  other  elegant  buildings  now  stand. 
The  north  part  of  the  town  being  settled  first, 
they  were  generally  in  better  circumstances, 
than  those  in  the  south  part.  With  all  these 
things  in  view*  each  one  will  be  convinced 
that  we  had  a  trying  scene  before  us.  My 
father  sold  his  property  in  Lyme  for  eighty 
pounds,  and  gave  an  hundred  for  what  he 
purchased  in  Woodstock.  The  journey  took 
oft"  considerable  of  it,  so  that  he  was  left  about 
forty  pounds  in  debt,  when  he  moved  his  fam- 
ily on  to  the  land  he  had  purchased.  He  sold 
his  oxen,  cart  and  horse  to  the  man  he  bought 
the  land  of;  this  left  us  in  a  poor  situation  to 
clear  up  a  farm,  that  could  hardly  be  don* 
without  the  strength  of  the  ox.  We  endeav- 
ored to  make  ourselves  contented  in  our  new 
and  poor  situation.  We  expected  a  long  Avin- 
ttr  and  had  but  little  provision,,  and  the  crops 


BLIA3    SMITH.  89 

that  year  were  generally  short.  We  had  two 
cows,  and  but  little  for  them,  to  what  they 
really  needed.  In  December,  my  father  went 
on  foot  to  Lyme,  two  hundred  miles,  to  obtain 
the  remainder  due  for  his  property  he  sold 
there ;  which  he  calculated  would  purchase  a 
yoke  of  oxen.  He  obtained  them,  and  drove 
them  home  about  the  last  of  January,  1753. 
Yfe  rejoiced  to  see  him  and  the  oxen,  hoping 
we  should  be  able  to  clear  our  land  of  the 
heavy  timber  which  stood  or  lay  upon  it,  that 
in  a  future  day  we  might  be  delivered  from 
that  want  we  then,  felt,  and  the  greater  we  fear- 
ed.  It  was  with  great  difficulty  we  wintered 
our  oxen  and  cows  ;  we  were  obliged  to  fell 
elm  and  maple  trees,  and  cut  off  the  limbs  for 
the  cattle,  the  small  ends  of  which  they  ate 
with  a  little  hay  we  gave  them.  In  this  way 
they  lived  through  the  winter.  The  first  snow 
that  fell  that  year,  was  on  the  sixteenth  day  of 
October :  it  fell  about  twelve  inches  deep. 
This  greatly  alarmed  us,  as  we  had  never  be- 
fore  lived  where  there  was  much  snow.  This 
«oon  went  off,  and  Ave  had  pleasant  weather 
till  the  first  of  December.  After  thai  we  never 
saw  the  ground  again  till  some  time  the  next 
April. 

One  man  said,  that  had  it  not  been  for  three 
things,  Vermont  would  never  have  been  set- 

!.     Elm  aiulas/i  bark,  to 

*  maple  tree*  wl  trdteft.goftcl  suvr,  . 

and  potatoes  which  afforded  food 
In  the  latter  part  of  this  winter^  we  prepare  1 
for  making  sugar  in  the  woods.     The  - 


40  LIFE    OF 

er  was  so  mild,  that  we  made  some  in  Febra- 
ary  ;  and  while  making  troughs  with  mj 
father,  I  cut  my  foot  very  bad,  so  that  he  car- 
ried me  home  through  the  snow  on  his  back, 
nearly  half  a  mile,  leaving  the  blood  on  the 
snow  as  we  passed  along.  I  recovered  of  my 
"wound,  and  wras  able  to  attend  to  the  busi- 
ness in  about  one  month.  This  work  of  mak- 
ing sugar  was  very  hard.  The  way  we  at- 
tended to  it  was  this  :  we  dug  a  large  place 
in  the  snow,  which  was  generally  three  or 
four  feet  deep  in  March.  Here  we  made  our 
fire,  and  hung  our  kettles.  Near  the  fire 
place,  we  trod  down  the  snow,  put  four  small 
poles  down  in  the  snow,  and  others  on  the 
tops  of  them ;  covered  them  with  hemlock 
bows  ;  laid  some  straw  on  the  snow,  for  our 
bed,  and  had  a  blanket  to  throw  over  us.  We 
were  obliged  to  go  on  snow-shoes  to  gather 
the  sap  which  run  from  the  trees  that  stood 
around  our  camp.  We  had  a  kind  of  yoke 
which  we  put  on  our  shoulders,  so  that  we 
could  carry  two  pails  with  case.  Sometimes  a 
limb  or  bush  would  hold  the  snow-shoes,which 
would  cause  a  person  to  fall  his  whole  length 
forward.  I  had  many  such  advances,  and 
tometimes  had  a  bucket  of  sap  on  me  to  add 
to  the  trouble.  All  the  fatigue  of  the  day,  hard 
fare,  and  sleep  on  the  snow,  under  hemlock 
boughs,  never  injured  my  health,  as  I  had 
been  inured  to  hardships  from  early  life. 
The  quantity  of  sugar  we  made  this  season 
was  so  great,  that  we  felt  ourselves  richly  iv- 


ELI  AS    SMITH.  41 

Warded  for  all  our  hard  labor,  and  thought 
ourselves  iu  a  comfortable  situation  to  what 
many  others  were. 

CHAPTER  IV. 

After  passing  through  the  cold,  and  hard- 
ships of  the  winter  ;  hauling  our  wood  by 
hand  the  first  of  the  winter  ;  the  toil  in  mak- 
ing sugar  ;  with  our  exertions  to  keep  our 
cattle  alive  ;  we  were  called  to  endure  a  loss 
which,  at  first,  almost  discouraged  us.  Early 
in  the  spring  my  father  sold  one  of  his  cows, 
for  grain,  thinking  we  could  get  through  the 
summer  with  one.  Soon  after  one  was  sold 
and  gone,  we  found  the  other  dead  in  the 
woods,  being  cast,  and  not  able  to  get  on  her 
feet  again.  It  appeared  to  me  then  that  the 
hand  of  God  was  against  us,  as  the  milk  we 
expected  from  the  co\y,  and  bread,  was  ths 
chief  we  depended  on  through  the  summer. 
My  father  was  almost  discouraged,  and  be- 
gan to  think  he  did  wrong  in  leaving  his  na- 
tive land.  My  mother  bore  the  loss  with  un- 
common fortitude,  telling  us  we  should  be 
provided  for  ;  which  we  found  true  ;  for  the 
same  day  a  friend  came  to  see  us,  who  had 
several  cows,  who  told  my  father  he  might 
have  one  of  his  till  he  could  purchase  anoth- 
er As  soon  as  the  snow  was  gone  so  that  wg 
could  work  upon  the  land,  we  began  to  clear 
off  the  timber,  and  make  ready  for  planting 
uud  sowing.     The  first  piece  we  cleared,  my 

Da 


42  LIFE    OF 

father  fixed  upon  as  a  burying  place.  This 
he  told  us  of  in  his  last  sickness  ;  and  when 
lie  died  he  was  buried  in  the  same  ground  he 
and  I  cleared  first,  on  his  farm. 

Through  the  summer  of  1/83,  and  '84,  we 
had  many  hardships  to  endure,  particularly 
for  the  want  of  provisions,  which  was  gener- 
ally scarce  through  the  country.  Through  all 
these  distressing  scenes  we  all  enjoyed  unin- 
terrupted health,  excepting  my  mother,  who 
appeared  sometimes  in  a  decline,  though  she 
afterwards  recovered,  and  enjoys  good  health 
to  this  day.  The  second  summer,  my  father 
carried  on  the  tanning  and  currying  business 
in  the  summer,  and  shoemaking  in  the  win- 
ter,  being  business  he  had  learned  in  Con- 
necticut. Working  with  him,  I  became  gen- 
erally acquainted  with  the  business  ;  but  mak- 
ing shoes  was  such  a  confinement  to  me  that 
I  was  obliged  to  quit  it  without  becoming  mas- 
ter of  the  trade.  This  business  helped  ua 
lome  to  live,  and  get  through  with  paying  for 
our  land.  The  summer  I  was  fifteen  years 
old,  was  a  distressing  summer  to  us,  and  ma- 
ny others.  For  many  weeks  before  harvest, 
almost  the  whole  we  had  for  food,  was  a  little 
milk  thickened  with  flour,  in  the  morning,  and 
not  enough  of  that.  This  was  all,  of  bread 
kind,  we  had  through  the  day.  We  had  a 
little  milk  to  drink  at  night.  For  many  days 
I  ate  my  breakfast  of  milk  thickened  with 
flour,  and  went  to  work  ;  by  eleven  o'clock 
my  food  would  all  be  gone,  and  my  strength 
with  it.     Wheu  I  could  work  no  longer,  I 


BLIAS    SMITH.  48 

used  sometimes  to  take  a  basket  and  travel  a. 
mile  or  two  among  the  raspberry  bushes,  eat 
some  and  bring  some  home  for  my  supper, 
with  the  small  portion  of  milk  allotted  me  with 
the  family.  My  other  brothers  did  the  same, 
I  thought  then,  if  we  could  have  been  suppli- 
ed with  a  sufficiency  of  potatoes,  it  would  hav& 
been  rich  living,  compared  with  what  we  then 
had.  There  seemed  no  way  for  relief  till  the 
crops  of  grain  were  1  ipe  ;  for  food  was  not  to 
be  had  in  the  town.  I  remember  one  time 
which  appeared  to  me  the  most  distressing  of 
all  I  endured  that  summer.  One  first  day  of 
the  week,  we  ate  our  usual  breakfast,  and 
went  to  meeting  about  two  miles.  By  the 
time  we  returned  home,  we  were  very  faint, 
and  there  was  nothing  in  the  house  to  eat, 
excepting  some  wheat  bran,  and  the  milk  tha 
cow  gave  at  night.  My  brother  said  he  could 
eat  the  bran  made  into  a  pudding  ;  this  was 
done,  and  he  ate  it,  but  I  could  not  get  it 
down,  though  very  hungry  and  faint  for  the 
want  of  food,  and  therefore  drank  my  milk^ 
and  retired  to  rest,  that  I  might  forget  my 
poverty,  and  remember  my  wants  no  more  tilt 


morning. 


Some  may  think  that  this  account  is  exag- 
gerated ;  but  my  mother,  brothers  and  many 
others  now  living  in  that  town,  can  bear  wit- 
ness to  the  truth  of  these  things.  There  are 
many  who  complain  of  hard  times,  and  that 
they  are  hardly  dealt  with,  when  at  the  sam« 
time  they  scarcely  ever  knew  the  want  of  food 
or  raiment  in  their  whole  lives  j  had  they 


44  LIFE    ©F 

known  of  want  as  it  has  been  my  lot  to  know 
it,  they  could  not  complain  of  coarse  food  and 
raiment,  and  feel  innocent.  Through  all  that 
time,  my  clothing  in  the  winter  was  generally 
thin  and  coarse.  I  never  owned  a  great  coat 
till  the  winter  before  I  was  twenty  years  old  : 
and  I  was  so  used  to  a  thin  dress  in  cold  wea- 
ther, that  I  did  not  know  the  need  of  one  for 
many  years.  Though  these  hard  things  were 
grievous  to  be  borne,  yet  I  believe  they  were 
in  the  end  beneficial,  as  I  have  been  able  to 
endure  hard  things  much  better  than  though 
brought  up  in  the  lap  of  ease.  And  though  since 
called  to  pass  through  things  fatiguing  to  the 
body,  I  have  never  been  confined  with  sick- 
ness but  once  in  forty  years,  and  then  only  for 
a  few  days.  In  the  two  first  years  of  living 
in  Woodstock,  there  was  no  school  near  to 
attend,  so  that  instead  *of  learning  more,  I 
really  lost  some  of  what  I  bad  gained  in  Con- 
necticut.  There  were  some  religious  privi- 
leges in  the  town  which  were  partially  improv- 
(ir  *'  ed  by  me,  though  but  little  to  my  advantage, 
through  my  great  love  to  this  present  evil 
world.  The  war  being  closed  this  year,  and 
those  tumults  at  an  end  which  had  so  alarmed 
me  for  seven  years,  my  mind  seemed  more 
than  before  attached  to  things  that  are  seen. 
My  inward  thought  was,  that  I  should  live  here 
forever,  and  my  own  existence  to  me,  seemed 
of  ten  thousand  times  more  importance  than  it 
really  was.  There  were  several  meetings  held 
constantly  in  different  parts  of  the  town  ;  the 
congregational  people  held  a  meeting  in  the 


ELIAS    SMITH.  45 

south  part,  first  in  a  barn,  and  then  in  a  small 
house  which  they  purchased  for  that  purpose. 
This  meeting  I  generally  attended,  as  it  wai 
near.  They  had  no  steady  preacher  ;  bow- 
ever,  they  were  geuerally  supplied.  Mr. 
Hutchinson,  of  Pomfrct,  father  to  Titus 
Hutchinson,  a  lawyer  in  Woodstock,  preach- 
ed there  often.  Mr.  Damon,  of  the  north 
parish,  preached  some,  and  AJr.  Feletiah 
Chapen  some.  He  was  a  good  man,  and  so- 
lemn preacher.  Sometimes  they  had  no 
preacher  and  then  they  read  Flavel's  or  Whit- 
field's sermons,  not  thinking  it  right  to  neglect 
meeting  together  because  they  had  no  preach- 
er. Oftentimes  in  these  meetings  my  mind 
was  solemnly  and  powerfully  wrought  upon 
by  the  force  of  that  truth  which  was  made 
manifest  to  me.  At  one  time  Joseph  Cottle, 
read  a  sermon  of  Whitefi eld's  on  the  last 
judgment.  This  greatly  terrified  me,  as  it 
.had  often  before  this  time.  The  man  was  a 
good  reader,  and  when  he  came  to  that  part  of 
the  discourse,  which  describes  the  state  of  the 
wicked  when  the  judge  shall  say  to  thein, 
"depart from  me  ye  cursed,"  the  preacher 
said,  "  When  this  sentence  is  passed  by  the 
judge,  it  will,  it  must  be  obeyed  ;  it  will  be  in 
vain  for  the  wicked  to  resist  ;  for  the  ground 
will  be  goaf  under  them  !  and  they  will  sink 
down  !  down  !  forever  ;  lost  and  forever  gone !" 
These  words  fdled  my  mind  with  great  dis- 
tress, and  I  felt  determined  from  that  time  to 
cease  to  do  evil,  and  learn  to  do  well  ;  but  I 
kad  not  gone  far  from  the  house  before  other 


46  UFE   OF 

things  took  zny  attention,  and  the  good  seed 
sown  by  the  way.  side  was  taken  away. 

Within  these  two  years,  I  first  saw  a  dic- 
tionary, but  did  not  know  at  first  what  it  was 
designed  for*  The  occasion  of  my  seeing  it 
was  this  :  two  men  had  been  at  meeting,  and 
heard  the  minister  use  the  word  canticles. 
One  asked  the  other  the  meaning  of  the  word  ; 
"  get  the  dictionary,  (said  the  other)  that  will 
tell  you."  sme  took  Eutick's  dictionary  and 
soon  found  the  word  with  its  meaning.  It 
appeared  strange  to  me  that  the  word  used  by 
the  9  minister  should  be  in  that  little  book. 
This  led  me  to  enquire  into  the  nature  of  it ; 
and  how  a  word  could  be  found  ;  and  was 
surprised  when  told  that  almost  all  words  we 
used, with  their  meaning,  could  readily  be  foand 
there.  Some  may  think  strange  that  a  person 
fourteen  or  fifteen  years  old  should  be  so  igno- 
rant of  a  book  now  so  common.  Such  books 
were  not  then  in  common  use  as  now  ;  and 
further,  every  person  is  ignorant  of  that  he 
never  heard  of.  About  all  the  books  I  had 
ever  known  to  that  time,  were  the  primer, 
Dil worth's  spelling-book,  Watt's  psalms  and 
hymns,  the  new-testament  and  bible.  These 
were  about  all  the  books  my  father  owned, 
and  these  commonly  were  the  library  of  a  bap- 
tist minister  in  those  days.  Not  far  from  the 
time  I  was  fifteen  years  old,  I  first  saw  or 
knew  a  geography  ;  and  it  was  in  the  follow- 
ing manner  ;  My  uncle  wished  me  one  win- 
ter to  live  with  him.  Not  long  after  my  re- 
sidence with  him,  he  one  evening  handed  mo 


XUAS    SMITH.  if 

a  book,  called  Guthrie's  grammar,  saying  as 
he  handed  it,  "  there  is  a  book  which  will 
be  of  great  advantage  to  you,  if  you  will  take 
pains  to  read  it."  1  received  the  book,  and 
after  asking  him  some  questions,  began  to 
read  it.  There  were  some  strange  things  in 
it,  which  appeared  to  me  impossible,  par- 
ticularly things  in  Greenland,  Lapland,  Nor* 
way,  and  in  other  northern  regions.  It  seem- 
cd  to  me  like  descriptions  of  amJUer  world, 
and  another  order  of  beings.  I  was  surprised 
to  think  this  world  could  be  so  large  and  con- 
tain  so  many  countries,  and  people  of  such 
different  nations,  tongues,  and  languages. — 
These  things  may  appear  small  to  ma- 
ny  ;  but  I  mention  them  to  stir  up  parents 
to  instruct  their  children  in  these  things,  so 
needful  to  the  present  life,  and  that  they  may 
do  it  in  season,  before  their  children  come  to 
an  age  when  other  things  call  them,  so  that 
they  cannot  pay  that  attention  to  learning 
which  they  wish  ;  also  these  things  are  men- 
tioned to  encourage  such  as  have  been  depriv- 
ed of  the  advantages  of  education  in  early 
life ;  they  may,  notwithstanding  all  this,  by 
patience  and  perseverance,  attain  to  that  which 
will  be  to  their  own  benefit  and  make  them 
useful  to  others  for  years  to  come. 

While  these  things  taught  me  my  own  ig- 
norance, they  fired  me  with  zeal  to  gain  use- 
ful knowledge,  and  with  this  a  fixed  resolu- 
tion freely  to  instruct  others,  if  it  was  over  i* 
»y  power  to  do  it. 


48  LIFE    ©* 

These  are  a  few  of  the  many  things  which 
took  place  in  the  course  of  fifteen  years,  which 
are  to  this  day  retained  in  my  memory,  and 
given  here  for  the  perusal  of  others. 


CHAPTER  V. 

This  chapter  describes  a  new  era  in  my 
life,  and  thgpthings  which  have  taken  place 
since  I  entered  my  sixteenth  year,  are,  of  all, 
the  most  important  to  me.  At  this  period,  I 
became  quite  uneasy  with  my  situation,  know- 
ing my  ignorance  and.  considering  the  disad- 
vantages I  labored  under,  by  living  where 
there  was  no  school  to  attend,  and  being  o- 
bliged  to  work  very  hard,  with  the  rest  of  the 
family,  in  a  new  country,  where  many  of  the 
comforts  of  life  were  scarce,  and  could  not  be 
obtained  but  by  hard,  and  almost  constant  la- 
bor. In  the  winter  of  my  sixteenth  year, 
(17S5,)  several  of  the  people  near  where 
the  south  meeting-house  now  stands,  agreed 
with  my  uncle,  (Elisha  Ransom,)  a  baptist 
minister,  to  teach  their  children  that  winter. 
This  was  two  miles  from  my  fathers  house. 
I  had  a  great  desire  to  attend  the  school,  as 
he  was  a  man  remarkably  qualified  for  that 
"business.  My  desire  being  very  great  to  go, 
my  father  consented  that  I  should  attend  one 
month.  This  I  considered  a  great  privilege 
indeed;  and  the  first  Monday  in  January,! 785, 
I  was,  to  my  great  joy,  received  as  a  member 
©f  the  school,  where  I  expected  in  one  Miontk 


ELIAS    SMITH.  49 

to  acquire  much  useful  information.  My  un- 
cle examined  me  as  to  the  knowledge  of  let- 
ters, and  found,  as  he  termed  it,  that  I  had 
been  taught  in  the  old  Connecticut  fashion, 
and  said,  "  you  must  learn  grammar." — This 
was  new  business  to  me.  He  gave  me  a  les- 
son from  Dilworth,  which  I  entered  upon 
with  zeal,  determining  to  learn  what  was  the 
most  useful. 

On  my  return  home,  I  informed  my  father 
of  the  study  I  had  entered  upon.  He  was 
not  at  all  pleased  with  ft  ;  and  told  me,  arith- 
metic was  much  more  useful,  as  I  could  read 
some,  and  was  entirely  ignorant  of  the  use  of 
figures.  This  greatly  damped  my  zeal,  as  he 
almost  forbid  my  pursuing  the  study  of  gram- 
mar. The  next  day  I  told  my  uncle  the  op- 
position in  my  way.  He  said,  you  must 
learn  it  :  this  will  be  of  advantage  to  you  in 
reading,  speaking  and  writing.  He  added,  I 
will  go  and  see  your  father  this  evening;  t 
he  did,  to  my  great  satisfaction.  My  father 
raised  every  argument  iu  his  possession  against 
the  grammar,  and  in  favor  of  arithmetic.  My 
uncle  on  the  other  hand  plead  for  me,  telling 
my  father  if  his  son  was  ever  called  into  pub- 
lic life,  this  science  would  be  of  vast  impor- 
tance to  him.  Ah,  said  he,  that  he  nor  I  may 
never  calculate  upon.  To  which  my  uncle  re- 
plied, "  you  do  not  know  what  he  may  be." 
Finally,  my  father  talked,  my  uncle  argued, 
my  mother  joined  her  brother,  and  1  wept  ; 
and  all  this  turned  the  scale,  so  that  my  fattier 
said  to  me,  you  may  do  as  you  please.     This 

£ 


50  life  or 

last  sentence,  led  my  uncle  to  say,  "  you  now 
consent  to  that  which  will  be  worth  more  to 
your  child  than  all  your  farm,"  All  this  was 
highly  gratifying  to  me,  and  I  pulled  my  book 
oufc  of  my  pocket,  taking  fresh  courage  to  learn 
at  grammar  meant. 

My  long  walk  every  day,  soon  led  me  to 
the  disadvantage  I  was  under  by  spend- 
ing so  much  time  in  going  and  returning  from 
the  school.     This  I  endeavored  to  remedy  by 
;,  and  committing  my  lesson  to  memory, 
[  passed  and  repassed  from  school.     A  way 
as  opened  to  be  relieved  from  this  dif- 
of   the    representatives  of   the 
(1  me  to  stay  at  his  house  while  he 
,   offering  me  my   board  if  I 
would  |  cattle,  &c.  in  his  absence. 

This  ixv  dadly  embraced,  as  it  was 

near  the  school.     There  was  no  light  allowed 
me  in  the  night,  excepting  the  light  of  the  fire. 
This  I  improved  to  the  best  advantage.     Of- 
tentimes I  laid  my  book  on  the  hearth  or  floor, 
and  lay  down  to  get  the  small  light  the  wood 
afforded  me.     This  was  a  hard  way  of  gain- 
ing light  f  fire,  and  knowledge  from 
tins  was  the  only  way  for 
vered  in  it  for  some  time.     Con  tin- 
ice  injured  my  eyes  very 
much  in  a  short  time  ;  though  before  this  my 
eyes  were  uncommonly  strong.     In  the  course 
of  the  month  of  January,  I  had  committed  the 
greater  part  of  Dilj  >  uiem°- 
rv,  though  my          .  \>y  reading  without  a  can-, 
were  much  injured.     1  I            H*  close  oi 


KLIAS    SMITH.  31 

the  month,  committed  so  much  to  memory,  that 
it  appeared  to  me  that  my  memory  could  not 
contain  much  more,  not  knowing  then  that  ig- 
norance was  what  filled  men's  heads,  and  not 
knowledge.  At  the  close  of  the  month,  when 
I  left  the  school,  my  uncle  encouraged  me  to 
pursue  my  studies,  promising  to  assist  me 
in  his  power,  which  promise  he  faithfully  per- 
formed ;  and  I  am  to  this  day  more  indebted 
to  him  for  the  knowledge  of  letters  than  all 
other  men  on  earth.  Close  application  to  stu- 
dy by  lire  light,  after  leaving  the  school,  Weak- 
ened my  eyes,  so  that  in  the  end  I  was  obliged 
wholly  to  quit  reading  for  some  time. 

Not  far  from  the  time  of  leaving  the  school, 
a  man  by  the  name  of  Jason  Smith,  proposed 
to  teach  music  one  month,  two  evenings  in  eacli 
week,    in  the  same  neighborhood.     Having  a 
great  desire  to  understand  that  pleasing  scie:  i 
I  engaged  with  others  to  attend  the  sch 
Though  my  eyes  had  become  quite  weak,  yet 
I  undertook  to  commit  to  memory  the  part 
cessary  to  understand  ;  and  in  a  shor 
could  repeat  the  whole  correctly.     In  the  ei 
evenings  we  attended,  I  acquired  some 
edge  of  the  art,  so  that  in  a  short 
I  could  sing  a  little  by  the  rule  laid  do 
Andrew  Lav/.     After  the  school  v. ; 
paid  close  attention  to  the  rules  hi  ral 
I  supposed  my  understanding  was 

le  meaning  of  what  Mr.  Law  h 
down.     By  this  time  my  eyes  were  so 
I  not  look  in  a  book  ii 


52  LIFE    OF 

time.  Many  thought  I  should  be  wholly 
blind,  before  many  months.  This  was  very 
distressing  to  me,  especially  when  I  thought 
of  being  shut  from  the  living  while  among 
them.  The  pleasure  of  thinking  myself  in 
possession  of  so  much  knowledge  of  gram  mar 
and  music,  as  I  supposed  was  in  my  posses- 
sion, soon  vanished,  when  thinking  blindness 
might  happen  to  me  as  the  consequence.  Eve- 
ry thing  was  done  to  help  my  eyes  that  was 
thought  useful,  but  all  to  no  purpose. 

While  troubled  with  the  thought  that  I 
might  lose  my  sight,  a  circumstance  took 
place  in  the  town,  which  caused  me  to  fear  a 
greater  loss,  that  was  the  loss  of  life.  The 
inhabitants  of  Woodstock  had  for  several 
years  been  remarkably  healthy  ;  and  though 
there  had  been  in  former  years,  great  and  gen- 
eral revivals  of  religion  in  different  parts  of 
the  town,  yet  at  this  time,  there  was  a  great 
inattention  to  the  things  of  God,  and  things 
which  concerned  the  peace  of  old  and  young. 
Those  who  professed  to  be  born  of  God,  ap- 
peared to  have  but  little  concern  for  those  who 
lived  without  God  in  the  world.  This  encour- 
aged me  and  others  of  my  age  to  go  on  in  sin, 
thinking  if  our  present  danger  was  great,  good 
people  would  warn  us  of  our  danger.  In  the 
month  of  March,  a  disorder  began  to  prevail 
in  Hartland  and  the  south  part  of  Woodstock, 
called  the  canker -rash.  One  young  man, 
about  eighteen  years  old,  in  Hartland,  by  th* 
name  of  Slaton,  was  violently  seized  with  this 
farming  disorder,  and  in  a  few  days  all  hopa 


ELIAS    SMITH.  53 

of  his  life  was  gone.  Not  long  before  lie  di- 
ed, his  father  caine  into  the  room  ;  his  son 
said-  "  fci her  what  do  you  think  of  my  situa- 
tion ?"  His  father  with  tears  replied,  "  my 
*ou,  you  are  now  dying."  He  said,  "  do  you 
think  I  am?"  "  Yes,"  Said  his  father.  "Then 
[id  he)  if  it  is  so,  I  am  undone  to  all  etern- 
ity ;  O,  how  can  I  die  without  Christ  ;  I  am 
undone  !  undone,  forever  !"  He  uttered  these 
words  and  died  immediately, 
his  death,  and  what  he  said  to  Ms  father,  was 
like  a  fire,  and  spread  alarm  wherever  it  came. 
The    disorder   alarmed   tfi  b,    t blinking 

they  too  might  die.  suddenly  :  his  saying  he 
undone,  led  others  to  think  they  also  v 
one.  There  was  never  any  tidings  that 
took  such  hold  of  me,  as  tills  concerning  one 
I  had  been  intimately  acquainted  with.  All 
faces  seemed,  for  a  while,  to  gather  palene 
and  many  began  to  say,  what  shall  we  d 
My  old  determinations  to  live  differently,  be- 
ll to  revive,  and,  for  a  time.  I  felt  determin- 
ed to  forsake  the  foolish  arid  \v  in 
the  way  of  understanding  :  these  resolu- 
tions were  but  momentary.  But  a  few  d: 
after  this  young  man  was  buried,  the  disorder 
prevailed  in  the  neighborhood  where  I  had 
attended  the  schools.  There  was  a  man  lived 
there  by  the  name  of  Jonathan  Wood.  He 
and  his  family  were  much  esteemed  by  all 
who  knew  them.  He  had  three  daughters 
grown  up  :  the  eldest  of  the  three  was  mar- 
ried, and  lived  in  the  house  with  her  father. 
Several  of  the  young  people,  \              er  had 


5&  LIFE    OF 

not  been  alarmed  by  the  death  of  the  young 
man  in  another  town,  or  had  lost  the  impres- 
sion his  death  had  made,  thinking  the  disor- 
der would  not  prevail  among  them,  appointed 
a  ball  in  the  neighborhood  on  Monday  eve- 
ning. In  the  afternoon  of  the  day,  I  saw  Mr. 
Wood's  two  youngest  daughters  carried  in  a 
sleigh  to  the  ball  ;  the  next  Wednesday  or 
Thursday  his  daughter  that  was  married,  died 
of  the  canker-rash.  The  other  two  were  tak- 
en about  the  same  time,  and  died  on  Saturday, 
Sunday  afternoon,  I  saw  the  same  sleigh,  hor- 
ses, and  driver,  and  the  two  sisters,  in  two 
coffins,  carried  to  the  grave,  that  I  saw  carried 
to  the  ball  the  Monday  before.  This  to  me 
and  many  others,  wras  an  alarming  sight  ; 
especially  to  see  them  buried.  By  the  side 
of  the  grave  stood  a  sorrowful  father  and 
mother,  who,  the  day  before,  had  seen  an 
amiable  daughter  laid  in  the  grave,  near  where 
they  then  stood.  Now  the  stroke  is  doubled. 
Two  amiable  daughters,  in  the  morning  of 
life,  torn  from  them  at  once,  to  increase  the 
grief  caused  by  the  death  of  the  first.  These 
done  with  changes  here  ;  their  house  left  unto 
them  desolate,  while  they  were  bereaved  of 
their  children.  While  standing  thus  by  the 
side  of  the  grave, every  countenance  appeared 
solemn.  One  man,  (Daniel  Ralph,)  spoke 
and  said,  "  We  read  in  the  scriptures,  that 
by  the  mouth  of  two  or  three  witnesses,  every 
word  shall  be  established  ;  and  here,  (said 
lie.)  are  two  witnesses  that  prove  that  all  men 
are  mortal,  and  thai  life  is  always  uncertain.5' 


SLIAS    SMITH.  #3 

These  words,  connected  with  what  was  before 
me,  were  like  thunder  in  my  ears.     After  the 
two  sisters  were  buried,  the  father,    almost 
overcome,  sp*)ke  to  the  people  and  said,  "  My 
friends,  I  give  you  thanks   for  your  kindness 
in  burying  these  two  dead  bodies. "     As  he 
spake  the  last  word,  he  burst  into  tears,  which 
with   the  solemn   deaths,    caused  a  general 
weeping  and  sobbing  through  a  large  assem- 
bly, met  to  attend  the  two  sisters  to  the  grave. 
The  mourning  seemed  like  that  when  Joseph, 
his  brethren,  and  the  Egyptians  wept  over  the 
grave  of  Jacob.     This  circumstance   caused 
me  to  weep  ;    but  I  felt  a  greater   cause    of 
weeping  than  this,  which  was  my  own  dan- 
ger ;  as  it  appeared  to  me  that  my  turn  would 
certainly  come  next,  as  I  had  turned  a  deaf 
ear  to  so  many  calls    and  warnings  ;  and  I 
believed,  if  I  was  cut  down  with  that  disor- 
der, it  would  be  just  for  me  to  die. 

While  returning  home  from  the  grave,  how 
small  my  earthly  prospects  appeared  !  and  as 
for  prospects  heavenly,  I  had  none.  That 
day,  I  made  a  solemn  promise,  that  if  the 
Lord  would  spare  my  life,  I  would  never 
again  rebel  again  si  his  spirit,  as  heretofore. 
This  promise  I  in  some  measure  kept,  until 
God  manifested  his  pardoning  mercy  to  me 
through  his  Son,  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord.  The 
evening  after  was  spent  in  a  manner  profita- 
ble to  us  all.  My  parents  faithfully  told  us 
of  the  danger  we  were  in,  mentioning  that  it 
was  altogether  likely  some  of  us  before  one 
week  would  be  laid  iu  the  grave.     This  1  aw- 


58  LIFE    OF 

fully  feared.  My  father  read  the  scriptures 
to  us,  and  prayed  with  and  for  us,  in  a  fer- 
vent and  affectionate  manner.  My  mind  was 
greatly  distressed  by  considering  myself  a 
sinner,  justly  condemned  to  die.  Not  long 
after  this,  as  I  waS  in  the  woods  at  work 
alone,  my  situation  appeared  to  be  shewn  me 
by  the  spirit  of  truth,  as  I  now  believe.  The 
iniquity  of  my  heels  overtook  me,  and  I  ap- 
peared full  of  the  sins  of  my  youth.  This 
place  was  fulfilled  in  me,  "  I  will  reprove 
thee,  and  set  thy  sins  in  order  before  thee.*' 
The  day  appeared  dark,  and  every  thing 
seemed  to  mourn  around  me.  This  was  the 
situation  I  thought  myself  in  :  guilty  before 
God.  of  crimes  of  the  deepest  dye. 

Every  wrong  ever  committed,  whether  in 
thought,  word,  or  deed,  appeared  before  me, 
and  things  which  before  appeared  small,  now 
rose  like  mountains  between  me  and  my  Crea- 
tor. It  appeared  to  me  that  I  was  a  criminal 
5  roiight  to  the  bar,  and  proved  guilty,  and 
deserving  death,  without  one  plea  in  his  own 
behalf.  I  said,  O  that  I  had  not  sinned,  but 
I  have,  and  now  it  is  too  late  !  Notwith- 
standing all  I  had  heard  of  Christ,  I  was  ig- 
norant of  forgiveness  through  him.  My  sit- 
uation seemed  like  that  of  a  murderer,  who 
laments  that  he  has  deprived  an  innocent  man 
of  life  ;  wishes  he  had  not  done  it  ;  is  sorry 
for  it,  and  says,  if  I  had  not  done  it,  I  should 
now  be  clear  ;  but  it  is  done  ;  the  law  says 
such  shall  die  ;  the  law  is  just,  and  if  justice 
e  place,  my  portion.     So  it  was 


ELIAS    SMITH.  57 

with  me,  I  saw  no  way  that  God  could  he 
just,  unless  I  was  cast  off  forever.  I  knew  he 
was  just,  and  would  ever  so  remain,  and  this 
conclusion  followed  :  I  have  sinned  against  a 
God  that  is  holy,  just  and  good  ;  for  this  I  am 
now  condemned  to  die,  and  as  certain  as  I 
now  exist,  so  certain  it  is  that  I  must  be  lost 
forever  ;  there  is  no  hope  for  me.  I  am  gone 
and  gone  forever  ;  and  at  that  time,  I  as  much 
expected  to  be  forever  lost,  as  though  a  voice 
from  heaven  had  then  said,  u  depart  from  me 
ye  cursed  into  everlasting  fire,  prepared  for  the 
devil  and  his  angels."  This  led  me  to  say, 
O  that  I  had  never  been  born,  or  that  I  had 
been  any  thing  but  an  accountable  creature  ! 
No  one  can  tell  the  distress  I  felt,  unless  they 
have  felt  the  same.  While  in  this  distressing 
situation,  I  stood  on  a  log  with  my  ax  for  the 
purpose  of  cutting  it  off.  A  thought  passed 
through  my  mind  to  step  down  on  the  ground 
and  pray  ;  then  anotbei  lit  arose,    I  am 

lost  forever,  and  it  is  in  vain  to  pray,  and  I 
had  been  taught  that  God  would  not  hear  sin- 
ners, and  that  it  would  be  useless  to  pray  ; 
however,  my  distress  was  so  great  that  I 
kneeled  down  on  the  ground,  but  could  not 
say  one  word,  and  after  remaining  some  time 
in  that  position,  I  rose  and  thought  of  trying 
to  work  again,  though  it  seemed  in  vain  for 
one  condemned  to  die,  to  do  any  work  for 
himself  or  others. 

Though  I  had  no  real  peace,  yet  my  mind 
eeemed  a  little  relieved  from  the  dreadful  dis- 

38  it  had  been  In.  I  began  to  think  of  the  doc- 


58  LIFE    OF 

trine  I  had  been  taught ;  "  That  God  had  from 
all  eternity  elected  some  to  eternal  life  ;"  and 
thought  if  that  doctkne  is  true,  I  am  unavoida- 
bly safe,  or  in  danger  because  God  made  me 
for  that  end  ;  and  I  recollected  that  the  cate- 
chism said,  "  the  decrees  of  God  are  his  eter- 
nal purpose,  whereby  for  his  own  glory  he 
has  foreordained  whatsoever  comes  to  pass/' 
This  seemed  a  momentary,  though  not  a  ra- 
tional relief.  I  thought  thus  ;  if  God  has  de- 
signed some  for  salvation,  and  some  for  damn- 
ation, how  can  I  be  sentenced  to  die  for  that 
which  God  decreed  I  should  do  ?  These 
things  did  not  stay  long  with  me,  as  they  came 
at  a  time  when  the  spirit  of  God  shewed  me 
that  I  must  bear  my  own  iniquity,  unless  par- 
doned. Soon  after  this,  I  endeavored  to  make 
my  baptism,  which  had  been  forced  upon  me, 
a  refuge.  I  thought  of  several  people  who 
were  considered  converted  people,  who  had 
been  sprinkled  in  infancy  ;  and  though  I  did 
not  believe  sprinkling  saved  any,  yet  thought 
whether  such  were  not  more  likely  to  be  con- 
verted, than  those  who  were  not  sprinkled  ; 
and  from  this  began  to  hope  I  might  yet  find 
mercy  with  God. 

Not  long  after  these  things  passed  through 
my  mind,  I  went  into  the  woods  one  morning 
after  a  stick  of  timber :  after  taking  it  on  my 
shoulder  to  bring  it  to  the  house,  as  I  walked 
along  on  a  large  log  that  lay  above  the  snow, 
my  foot  slipped  and  I  fell  partly  under  the 
log,  the  timber  fell  one  end  on  the  log  and  the 
other   on  the  snow,  and  held  me,  so  that  I 


ELIAS    SMITH.  59 

found  it  difficult  at  first  to  rise  from  the  situa- 
tion I  was  then  in.     While  in  this  situation, 
a  light  appeared  to  shine  from  heaven,  not  on- 
ly into  my  head,  but  into  my  heart.     This  was 
something  very  strange  to  me,  and  what  I  had 
never  experienced  before.     My  mind  seemed 
to  rise  in  that  light  to  the  throne  of  God  and 
the  Lamb,  and  while  thus  gloriously  led,  what 
appeared  to  my  understanding  was  expressed 
in   Rev.  xiv.    1.  "  And  I  looked,  and,  lo,  a 
Lamb  stood  on  the  mount  Sion,  and  with  him 
an  hundred  forty  and  four  thousand,  having 
his  Father's  name  written  in  their  foreheads." 
The  Lamb  once  slain  appeared  to  my  under- 
standing, and  while  viewing  him,  I  felt  such 
love  to  him  as  I  never  felt  to  any  thing  earth- 
ly.    My  mind  wras  calm   and  at  peace  with 
God  through  the  Lamb  of  God,  that  taketh 
away  the  sin  of  the  world.     The  view  of  the 
Lamb  on  mount  Sion  gave  me  joy  unspeaka- 
ble and  full  of  glory.     Ii  is  not  possible  for 
me  to  tell  how  long  I  remained  in  that  situa- 
tion, as  every  thing  earthly  was  gone  from  me 
for  some  time.     After  admiring  the  glory  of 
the  Lamb  for  some  time,  1  began  to  think  of 
the  situation  my  body  was  in,  and  rose  up  to 
return  home.     Looking  around  me,  every  ob- 
ject was  changed,  and  a  bright  glory  appeared 
on  every  thing  around  me.     All  things  prais- 
ed God  with  me.     As  I  went  towards  the 
house,  this  thought  came  into  my  mind,  ••'  w. 
do  I  feci  so  different  from  what  I  did  a  short 
time  past ;  I  am  unspeakably  happy  andsshall 
ee  trouble  again. v    As  I  walked  aloo 


60  LIFE    OF 

tbese  lines  came  into  my  mind,  and  appeared 
peculiarly  pleasing  : 

"  Come  tve  tvho  love  the  JLord, — And  let  our  joys  he  known  j 

ie  Join  in  a  song  with  sweet  accord, — And  thus  surround  the  throne' 

t(  Let  sorrows  of  the  mind, —  Be  banish' 'd  from  the  place  ; 

*l  JReligion  never  ivas  designed — To  make  cur  pleasures  less." 

I  sung  the  words  in  a  tune  called  Little- 
Marlborough,  and  sung  them  with  such  plea- 
sure as  was  never  known  by  me  before.  This 
thought  passed  through  my  mind  :  "  Surely 
religion  was  never  designed  to  lessen  our 
pleasures,  for  I  never  before  knew  real  hap- 
piness. While  about  my  work,  there  was  a 
pleasure  enjoyed,  in  viewing  the  works  of 
God  around  me,  and  in  meditating  on  the 
things  of  God  and  Christ.  Notwithstanding 
all  these  things,  I  did  not  then  think  that  what 
I  had  received,  was  regeneration,  or  passing 
from  death  to  life.  Regeneration  appeared 
to  me  something  else  ;  for  regeneration  had 
been  imagined  before,  and  I  had  concluded 
how  I  should  feel,  if  it  should  ever  be  expe- 
rienced by  me.  What  I  experienced  this  day, 
appeared  to  me  something  else,  as  it  came  in 
an  unthought-of  way,  and  was  something 
wholly  unknown  to  me  till  that  day. 

CHAPTER  VI. 

There  are  certain  things  I  then  experienced, 
now  plain  in  my  mind,  and  which  lead  me 
to  believe  that  I  then  experienced  the  wash- 
ing of  regeneration  and  the  renewing  of  tha 


ELIAS    SMITH.  61 

Holy  Ghost,  which  are  the  following  :  1. 
Whereas  before  this,  my  mind  was  dark/  it 
then  became  light  in  the  Lord.  This  was 
then  my  experience  ;  **  God  who  commanded 
the  light  to  shine  out  of  darkness,  hath  shined 
into  our  hearts,  to  give  the  light  of  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  glory  of  God  in  the  face  of  Jesus 
Christ."  I  am  now  certain  that  at  that  time 
my  mind  was  enlightened  to  behold  the  glory 
of  God  in  the  face  of  Jesus,  as  I  had  never 
before  seen  it,  and  it  was  the  same  in  nature, 
as  I  have  experienced  since  ;  though  it  was 
small  then  to  what  it  has  appeared  since.  The 
truth  of  the  following  I  then  experienced, 
Eph.  i.  18,  "  The  eyes  of  your  understand- 
ing being  enlightened  ;  that  ye  may  know 
what  is  the  hope  of  his  calling,  and  what  the 
riches  of  the  glory  of  his  inheritance  in  the 
saints."  Being  enlightened,  I  saw  light, 
according  to  the  words  of  Peter ;  1  Pet.  ii.  9, 
"  That  ye  should  shew  forth  the  praises  of 
him  who  hath  called  you  out  of  darkness  into 
his  marvellous  light."  Another  place  of  scrip- 
ture  was  experienced  as  true  by  me  :  2  Cor. 
iii.  18,  "Bat  we  all  with  open  face,  behold- 
ing as  in  a  glass  the  glory  of  the  Lord,  arc 
changed  into  the  same  image  from  glory  to 
glory,  even  as  by  the  spirit  of  the  Lord."  It. 
is  certain  that  at  that  time,  a  very  great  change 
took  place  in  my  mind,  even  into  the  v 
image  and  temper  of  him  whose  glory  I  be- 
held. This  was  done  by  the  spirit  of  God, 
for  no  bad  spirit  could  produce  such  an  happy 
ckauge,  and  it  was  surely  not  in  my  powfcr  t<* 
F 


62  life  or 

produce  such  a  great  and  happy  change  m 
myself. 

2.  That  guilt,  pollution,  and  condemnation 
which  I  had  felt,  more  or  less,  for  several 
years,  was  then  removed,  so  that  my  mind 
was  as  clear  from  it  all,  as  though  I  had  nev- 
er committed  a  sin.  This  could  not  be  imag- 
ination, because  my  guilt,  pollution,  and  con- 
demnation was  real,  and  the  change  was  of 
course  a  reality.  This  agrees  with  what  is 
written  upon  the  subject  in  the  New-Testa- 
ment :  1  Cor.  vi.  11,  "  And  such  were  some 
of  you  :  but  ye  are  washed,  but  ye  are  sancti- 
fied, but  ye  are  justified,  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord  Jesus,  and  by  the  spirit  of  our  God." 
This  washing,  and  being  cleansed  from  con- 
demnation, is  mentioned  and  described  by 
Paul,  Titus  ii.  %  5,  6,  7,  "But  after  the 
kindness  and  love  of  God  our  Saviour  toward 
man  appeared  ;  not  by  works  of  righteousness 
which  we  have  done,  but  according  to  his  mer- 
cy he  saved  us,  by  the  washing  of  regenera- 
tion, and  renewing  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  which 
he  shed  on  us  abundantly,  tnrough  Jesus 
Christ  our  Saviour  ;  that  being  justified  by 
Ills  grace,  we  should  be  made  heirs  according 
to  the  hope  of  eternal  life."  Such  things  as 
tL°se  cannot  be  the  effect  of  imagination,  but 
arc  from  the  spirit  of  truth. 

3.  At  t^it  time  there  was  a  new  principle 
written  on  my  heart,  which  I  certainly  never 
felt  before,  and  though  at  that  time  I  could  no 
more  describe  it,  than  the  Israelites  could  the 
juanna,  yet  I  knew  the  good  and  sweetness 


ELIAS    SMITH.  63 

of  it,  as  they  did  of  the  manna,  when  they 
said,  "  What  is  this  ?w  That  principle  I 
consider  the  law  of  God  written  in  the  heart, 
or  in  other  words,  "  the  love  of  God  shed  a- 
broad  in  the  heart,  by  the  Holy  Ghost."  This 
is  mentioned  by  Paul  as  peculiar  to  all  who 
are  born  of  God.  Heb.  viii.  10,  "I  will  put 
my  laws  into  their  mind,  and  write  them 
in  their  hearts."  This  law  is  love,  and 
comes  by  the  Holy  Ghost.  Rom.  v.  6,  "  And 
hope  maketh  not  ashamed  ;  beeause  the  love 
of  God  is  shed  abroad  in  our  hearts  by  the 
Holy  Ghost  which  is  given  unto  us."  It  is 
this  principle  in  the  heart  which  causes  mea 
to  love  righteousness,  and  hate  iniquity. 

4.  Another  thing  I  remember  which  has 
been  ever  plain  to  me  ;  that  is,  love  to  such  as 
give  an  evidence  that  they  are  born  of  God. 
Before  this,  I  considered  that  good  men  were 
to  be  respected,  and  did  not  doubt  that  they 
would  be  happy  at  last  ;  but  it  was  no  plea- 
sure to  me  to  be  in  their  company,  nor  did  I 
feel  any  union  to  them  till  the  day  God  shin- 
ed  into  my  heart.  At  that  time  my  affections 
were  fixed  on  them,  as  the  excellent  of  the 
earth  in  whom  was  all  my  delight.  A  pious 
uncle  of  mine,  used  often  to  tell  me  of  my 
need  of  a  Saviour,  which  led  me  to  avoid  his 
company  when  it  could  be  done  ;  but  the  day 
I  experienced  such  a  change,  I  felt  a  peculiar 
union  to  him,  and  felt  desirous  to  see  him  more 
than  any  other  person  on  earth.  This  love  to 
the  saints,  John  mentions  as  an  evidence  of 
our  being  delivered  from  a  state  of  condemaa- 


64 


LIFE    OF 


tion.  1  John,  iii.  14,  "  We  know  that  we 
have  passed  from  death  unto  life,  because  we 
love  the  brethren  ;  he  that  loveth  not  his  bro- 
ther abideth  in  death."  Paul  mentions  the 
same  thing,  and  tells  us  that  love  to  the 
brethren,  is  the  evidence  of  being  taught  of 
God.  1  Thes.  iv.  9,  "  But  as  touching  bro- 
therly love,  ye  need  not  that  I  write  unto  you ; 
for  ye  yourselves  are  taught  of  God  to  love 
one  another." 

5.  Another  thing  I  realized  as  true  that  day, 
that  was,  a  victory  over  the  world.  The  mo- 
ment the  glory  of  God  and  the  Lamb  was 
manifested  to  me,  all  the  glory  of  worldly  rich- 
es, honors,  and  pleasures,  were  gone,  as  the 
light  of  the  moon  is  done  away  by  the  great- 
er light  of  the  sun.  All  in  the  world,  which 
is  contrary  to  God  and  holiness,  is  summed  up 
in  three  things  :  the  lust  of  the  flesh  ;  the  lust 
of  the  eyes ;  and  the  pride  of  life.  These 
are  not  of  the  Father,  and  the  person  who 
delights  in  these  three  things,  the  love  of  the 
Father  is  not- in  him.  John  says,  "Whosoev- 
er is  born  of  God  overcometh  the  wo$d,  and 
this  is  the  victory  that  overcometh  the  world, 
even  our  faith.  Who  is  he  that  overcometh 
the  world,  but  he  that  belie veth  that  Jesus  is 
the  Son  of  God."  1  John,  v.  4.  Where 
there  is  victory,  there  is  no  love  to  that  we 
overcome.  I  believe  there  are  many  people 
who  leave  things  that  are  wrong,  when  it 
would  be  their  choice  to  enjoy  them,  were  it 
not  for  the  dangerous  consequences  which  at- 
tend those  things.    This  is  not  overcoming 


ELIAS    SMITH.  6j 

the  World.  There  are  many  people  who  de- 
sist from  the  sinful  courses  they  once  pursued, 
and  yet  they  do  not  appear  happy  in  the  things 
of  God  and  Christ ;  the  reason  is,  they  have 
retreated,  and  not  overcome. 

6.  The  day  God  shined  into  my  heart, 
the  glory  of  the  world  to  come  appeared  to  me 
as  it  never  liad  before.  I  had  often  heard 
people  tell  of  the  world  to  come ;  but  it  al- 
ways appeared  a  thing  so  far  off,  that  there 
was  but  little  or  no  encouragement  to  look  ^or 
it ;  but  when  the  spirit  of  God  enlightened 
my  mind,  it  shewed  me  things  to  come,  accord- 
ing to  the  words  of  Paul,  "  Looking  for  that 
blessed  hope,  and  glorious  appearing  of  the 
great  God,  and  our  Saviour  Jesus  Christ." 

7-  Another  thing  appeared  plain  to  me. 
The  thought  of  death  and  judgment,  had  al- 
ways been  terrible.  Many  times  when  I 
opened  the  bible  and  looked  on  the  twenty- 
fourth  and  twenty-fifth  chapters  of  Matthew, 
my  mind  was  so  filled  with  horror  at  lire  des- 
cription given  there  of  the  last  day,  that  after 
reading  a  little,  I  would  shut  up  the  book,  or 
turn  to  some  other  place  to  read.  After  that 
day,  there  was  no  terror  in  death,  nor  the 
judgment,  for  many  months.  Death  was 
overcome,  and  there  was  a  way  tc  have  bold- 
ness in  the  day  of  judgment.  It  does  not  now 
appear  to  me  that  I  so  much  rejoiced  about 
myself,  as  in  the  glorious  things  which  were 
manifested  to  my  understanding.  Self  was 
not  the  subject,  but  God,  Christ,  and  ther 
things  revealed  by  the  spirit  :  nor  did  I,  for 

Fa 


65  LIFE   OF 

some  time,  rejoice  in  thinking  I  was  horn  a- 
gain,  but  in  the  glorious  things  revealed  to  m% 
by  the  spirit. 

8.  Another  thing  experienced  at  that  time, 
was  this  ;  such  an  understanding  of  the  scrip- 
tures, as  I  had  not  known  before.  It  had 
been  my  practice  to  read  the  bible  some,  for 
many  years,  and  to  commit  it  to  memory ; 
but  never  saw  a  beauty  in  it  till  that  day  and 
afterwards.  Though  my  eyes  were  so  weak- 
that  I  could  not  look  in  the  book  but  a  few 
minutes,  without  being  almost  blind,  yet  the 
sweetness  of  its  contents  made  me  desirous  to 
read,  and  it  appeared  to  me  that  every  place 
I  read  was  the  best  in  the  whole  bible.  This 
understanding  of  the  scriptures,  given  in  a 
short  time,  leads  me  to  believe  that  the  same 
spirit  which  led  the  prophets  and  apostles  to 
understand  and  write,  taught  me  the  meaning 
of  what  they  have  written.  This  agrees  **  ith 
the  words  of  Christ  and  the  apostles.  Christ 
•aid,  "No  man  knoweth  the  son  but  he  to 
whom  the  father  will  reveal  him/'  When  Pe- 
ter said,  "  thou  art  the  Christ,  the  son  of  the 
living  God,"  Jesus  said,  '•  Blessed  art  thou 
Simon  Bar- Jona,  for  flesh  and  blood  hath  not 
revealed  this  unto  thee,  but  my  father  which 
is  in  heaven/'  "  Then  opened  he  their  un- 
derstanding, that  they  might  understand  the 
•criptures."  Paul  says,  "  The  natural  man 
receiveth  not  the  tilings  of  the  spirit  of  God  ; 
for  they  are  foolishness  unto  him  ;  neither 
can  lie  know  them,  because  they  are  spiritu- 
ally discerned."  i.  Cor.  ii.  14,    God  reveals 


ELIAS    SMITH.  6y 

these  things  to  men  by  his  spirit.  "  The  en. 
trance  of  thy  word  giveth  light ;  yea  it  giveth 
understanding  to  the  simple." 

9.  One  thing  more  shall  be  mentioned  which 
I  then  received  ;  that  is,  a  spirit  of  praise  and 
prayer.  The  first  thing  I  did  was  to  praise 
God,  and  in  this  all  creation  joined.  Praise 
for  alM  saw  and  enjoyed  was  of  course,  and 
a  spirit  of  prayer  that  I  might  see  and  enjoy 
more,  and  never  live  as  heretofore.  I  had 
often  before  this,  prayed  as  the  publican  did> 
ic  God  be  merciful  to  me  a  sinner,"  but  never 
knew  the  spirit  of  adoption,  leading  me  to  cry, 
"  Abba  Father." 

Though  all  these  things  were  wrought  in 
my  mind  at  once,  yet  I  could  not  then  distin- 
guish them  as  afterwards.  To  bring  a  simil- 
itude, it  appears  to  me  like  this  :  when  a.chikl 
is  born,  he  has  all  the  features  of  a  man  ;  he 
is  a  man  in  miniature,  and  is  called  a  man- 
child.  As  he  increases  in  stature,  every  part 
increases  in  proportion  with  his  stature,  till 
he  arrives  to  the  size  of  a  man.  So  it  is  with 
those  who  are  born  of  God. 

Some,  perhaps,  who  read  this  may  say,  "  I 
cannot  give  such  an  account  of  being  born 
again,  as  this."  Perhaps  they  cannot,  but 
ask  them  if  they  never  felt  the  same  principle 
in  their  hearts,  and  they  will,  if  born  again, 
say,  «  yes." 

It  will  here  be  needful  to  notice,  that  there 
are  a  diversity  of  operations  by  the  same  spir- 
it. All  who  are  born  again  do  not  experience 
the  same  operations,  though  all  such  know 


68  LIFE   OP 

the  same  things,  in  a  greater  or  less  degree.' 
After  Christ  was  risen  from  the  dead,  he  made 
himself  known  to  his  disciples  in  different 
forms,  but  he  was  the  same  Christ  ;  and  the 
knowledge  of  him  amounted  to  the  same,  as 
each  one  who  had  seen  him  after  his  resur- 
rection could  say,  "  the  Lord  is  risen  indeed." 
Should  an  hundred  people  meet  from  differ- 
ent  and  distant  parts  of  the  country,  and  all 
be  in  one  place,  would  any  one  doubt  of  his 
being  there,  because  he  came  from  the  east, 
while  another  came  from  the  west  ?  Surely  no. 
Would  any  one  doubt  of  his  being  there  be- 
cause he  came  only  one  mile,  when  another 
came  an  hundred  miles  ?  No,  he  would  think 
himself  as  really  there  as  the  other. 

The  first  day  of  experiencing  this  change, 
was  the  happiest  day  I  had  ever  known,  yea, 
this  was  the  first  day  of  knowing  real  peace 
and  joy  ;  all  beside  had  but  the  name  of  hap- 
piness, when  compared  to  the  joy  which  comes 
to  such  as  believe  that  Jesus  Christ  is  the  Son 
of  G  od.  This  day  every  thing  appeared  right. 
I  had  long  thought  thai  God  hated  his  crea- 
tures, or  at  least  the  greater  part  of  them. 
The  change  which  at  first  appeared  to  be  in 
my  Creator,  I  found  afterwards  was  in  me. 
He  had  always  been  love,  and  when  his  spir- 
it made  the  change  in  me,  I  then  knew  what 
God  wras.  "  God  is  love."  Soon  after  this 
great  change,  r  these  questions  came  into  my 
mind,  "  Why  did  1  wot  experience  this  be- 
fore ?"  The  answer  was,  "  Because  I  was 
not  ivilling  to  receive  that  which  made  the 


ELIAS    SMITH.  OT 

change  ;  the  spirit  of  truth."  The  next  ques- 
tion was  this,  "  How  came  I  to  have  it  now?" 
The  answer  was,  "  Because  God  was  will- 
ing to  bestow  it  upon  me,  after  I  had  so  long 
resisted  his  spirit."  Here  is  neither  Calvin- 
ism, arminianism,  nor  freewillism,  but 
the  truth.  So  1  was  first  taught,  so  I  now 
believe  and  preach,  (rod  is  ready  to  save 
them  that  believe.  Christ  became  the  author 
of  eternal  salvation  to  all  them  that  obey  him. 
All  who  looked  to  the  brazen  serpent  were 
healed  r  all  who  believe  in  Christ  have  eternal 
life.  The  brazan  serpent  did  not  heal  them  ; 
looking  did  not  heal  ;  but  God  healed  such 
as  beheld  the  serpent  of  brass.  Believing 
does  not  save  us,  but  God  has  commanded  us 
to  believe  in  his  Son,  who  is  able  to  save  them 
to  the  uttermost  who  come  unto  God  through 
him. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

This  change  which  I  had  experienced  was 
for  some  time  unknown  to  any  but  myself ; 
and  sometimes  it  was  my  determination  to 
keep  it  to  myself  ;  thinking  if  it  was  a  reali- 
ty, I  might  enjoy  it,  without  others  knowing 
it,  and  if  all  my  happiness  should  come  to  an 
end,  it  would  be  best  not  to  let  my  short  liv- 
ed joy  be  known.  No  person  can  tell,  unless 
he  has  felt  the  same,  the  comfort  I  enjoyed  in 
secret  prayer,  in  singing  praises  to  God,  and 
in  reading  the  scriptures.     Besides  this;  my 


JO  LIFE   OF 

happiness  was  greatly  increased  by  attending 
public  worship.  Every  part  was  joy  to  me. 
Singing,  praying,  preaching,  exhortations, 
&c.  gave  me  great  pleasure.  Every  exercise 
which  had  Christ  in  it,  was  joy  to  me.  In 
the  month  of  April,  1785,  thirty  years  ago  this 
month,  [April,  1815,]  there  was  a  revival  of 
religion  in  the  south  part  of  the  town,  which 
took  place  soon  after  the  raging  disorder  took 
away  the  youth  in  such  a  sudden  manner.  In 
this  revival,  several  young  people  professed 
to  be  converted  to  God.  Hearing  them  tell 
-what  they  had  experienced,  gave  me  great  joy, 
as  they  spake  of  .the  same  things  I  had  expe- 
rienced ;  this  led  me  to  hope  I  had  passed 
from  death  to  life.  J  reasoned  thus  :  these 
converts  know  what  I  know.  They  have 
never  heard  what  I  have  experienced,  yet  they 
know  it.  They  are  certainly  born  again,  and 
as  my  experience  agrees  with  theirs,  it  must 
be  true  that  I  am  born  again.  They  were 
forward  in  praying  and  speaking  in  small 
meetings  ;  this  I  could  not  do,  and  on  that 
account  often  thought  my  experience  was  not 
like  theirs.  ,  Sometimes  when  with  two  or 
three  of  them,  I  would  try  to  pray,  but 
could  say  only  a  few  words  before  my  mind 
would  be  wholly  shut  up,  which  led  me  to 
think,  at  times,  that  all  my  religion  was  imag- 
inary. Sometimes  I  would  try  to  feel  the 
same  distress  I  had  felt  before  the  first  relief 
came  to  my  mind.  This  I  could  not  do  ;  as 
that  was  washed  away.  Sometimes  this  thought 
would  pass  through  my  mind;  "I  am  not  con- 


ELIAS    SMITH.  71 

verted  right,  I  will  put  this  all  away,  and  be- 
gin  again. "  All  these  resolves  did  not  remove 
my  love  to  prayer,  praise,  the  word,  saints, 
and  public  worship  ;  nor  did  they  cause  ni& 
to  feel  the  spirit  of  bondage  again  to  fear. 
Often  did  I  wish  that  my  experience  was  as 
clear  as  others  appeared  to  me,  and  that  I  had 
as  clear  an  evidence  of  passing  from  death  to 
life  as  others  enjoyed.  At  that  time  I  thought 
a  real  christian  felt  as  holy  as  an  angel,  and 
that  he  felt  nothing  in  himself  wrong,  or  un- 
like God.  When  I  saw  an  old  christian,  this 
thought  would  run  through  my  mind  ;  "  O, 
that  I  felt  as  holy  as  you  do ;  if  I  did,  my 
acceptance  with  God  would  be  certain  to  me.?? 
One  day,  being  in  company  with  a  man  whom 
I  considered  a  real  christian,  it  came  into  my 
mind  to  ask  him  if  he  ever  felt  any  thing 
wrong  in  his  mind,  or  sinful,  since  he  was 
converted.  He  at  once  told  me  he  did.  I 
then  told  him  that  it  appeared  to  me  if  a  man 
was  a  christian,  he  would  feel  himself  entire- 
ly free  from  every  thing  wrong.  He  replied, 
*  you  are  in  a  great  mistake ;  this  I  can  easily 
prove  to  you."  This  roused  all  my  powers, 
and  I  at  once  desired  him  to  prove  what  he 
had  said.  He  asked  me  if  I  believed  Abra- 
ham was  a  good  man.  Yes.  "  Well,  (said 
he,)  when  Abraham  was  about  to  pray  for 
Sodom,  he  said,  "  I,  who  am  but  dust  and 
ashes,  take  it  upon  me  to  speak  to  the  Al- 
mighty." Now,  said  he,  what  can  be  mean- 
er than  dust  and  ashes  ?  So  Abraham  viewed 
himself.    Job,  said  he,  was  doubtless  a  good 


7S  LIFE   OF 

inau,  &nd  he  said,  "  I  abhor  myself,  and  re- 
pent in  dust  and  ashes."  He  said,  "  If  I  say 
I  am  perfect  this  also  will  prove  me  perverse." 
He  also  stated  that  Paul  was  a  good  man, 
and  yet  said,  when  he  would  do  good,  evil 
wa3  present  with  him,  and  viewing  himself, 
he  exclaimed,  "  O,  wretched  man  that  I  am, 
who  shall  deliver  me  from  the  body  of  this 
death  !" 

The  old  man  farther  stated,  that  when  a 
man  talked  of  his  own  goodness,  and  that  h« 
was  more  holy  than  others,  it  was  a  certain 
sign  of  his  being  an  hypocrite  ;  for  one  said, 
"  God  I  thank  thee  that  I  am  not  as  other 
men."  Such  say,  "  Stand  by  thyself,  come 
not  near  for  I  am  holier  than  thou."  He  fur- 
ther noticed  that  when  the  sun  shone  into  the 
room,  we  could  discover  thousands  of  dusts  in 
the  sunbeams,  which  could  not  be  seen  in  any 
other  part  of  the  room ;  so,  said  he,  when  God 
shines  into  our  hearts,  we  discover  what  had 
been  there  before,  and  on  this  account,  a  young 
qonvert  often  thinks  there  is  more  wickedness 
in  his  heart,  than  he  ever  had  before  ;  but  this 
is  not  true  ;  he  then  only  sees  what  he  has 
always  been. 

This  was  new  doctrine  to  me,  and  encour- 
aged me  to  think  I  Uvd  experienced  that 
which  christians  knew.  This'  conversation 
strengthened  me  so  pipdhj  that  I  felt  determ- 
ined to  tell  him  what  I  had  experienced.  He 
was  very  attentive  to  what  I  related.  After 
hearing  me  through,  he  observed  that  he  had 
for  some  time  thought  I  had  experienced  a 


ELIAS    SMITH.  73 

•hange,  aud  hoped  I  would  persevere.  This 
conversation  served  to  strengthen  my  mind, 
and  led  me  often  to  rejoice  in  hope. 

This  year  was  a  year  of  trouble  to  the  in- 
habitants of  Woodstock,  and  several  other 
new  towns,  on  account  of  the  severity  of  the 
season,  and  the  scarcity  of  provision.  On  the 
17th  of  April,  the  snow  in  the  woods  was 
four  and  half  feet  deep,  and  the  21st  of  May, 
there  were  large  banks  of  snow  on  the  north 
side  of  the  hills.  This  was  a  melancholly 
appearance  indeed  !  It  looked  as  though 
seed  time  would  not  come.  Provisions  of  eve- 
ry  kind  were  very  scarce,  and  but  few  people 
had  enough  to  last  them  till  harvest.  My 
father  concluded  we  must  work  out  by  the 
fcionth  till  after  harvest,  as  he  knew  of  no 
other  way  for  us  to  live.  This  did  not  trou- 
ble me,  as  every  thing  to  me  was  right,  and 
my  mind  was  reconciled  to  what  was  right, 
however  hard  it  might  appear.  On  the  first 
of  May,  I  went  to  work  with  Jonathan  Farns- 
worth,  who  lived  near  my  fathers  house.  My 
engagement  was  for  one  month.  My  work 
was  not  hard  on  account  of  the  happiness  I 
enjoyed  in  my  mind.  This  was  the  happiest 
month  I  had  ever  known.  All  the  leisure 
time  I  had  was  spent  either  in  reading,  pray- 
ing,  singing,  conversing  on  the  glory  of  Christ, 
or  attending  meetings  with  the  converts. 

"  The  world  with  all  its  pomp  -withdrew, 
'Twas  less  than  nothing  in  my  view  ; 
Redeeming  grace  was  all  mu  theme  % 
And  life  appeared  an  idle  dream" 

G 


7*  LIFE    OF 

I  found  a  small  pamphlet  of  hymns  pubKshed 
by  Sampson  Occuin  ;  these  were  upon  chris- 
tian experience,  Ttnd  peculiarly  pleasing  tome. 
I  carried  my  hymn  book  in  my  pocket,  and 
when  at  Avork  in  the  field,  while  my  oxen 
were  resting,  would  read  or  sing  my  experi- 
mental hymns,  which  contained  a  constant 
feast.  Sometimes  while  walking  through  the 
fields  alone,  and  meditating  on  the  glory  to 
come,  my  desire  was  to  be  g0rie  from  earth, 
to  be  with  Christ  which  is  far  better.  Many 
times  ia  that  month,  did  I  wish  it  might  be 
roy  lot  to  leave  all  below.  There  was  no  ter- 
ror ia  death  to  me  :  it  appeared  the  gate  of 

legs  joy  ;  nor  did  I  dread  to  enter  there. 
There  v» *ss  neither  riches,  honor  or  pleasures 

strtii  that  appeared  worth  rry  stay.  Some- 
times in  the  night,  while  meditating  on  the 
glory  of  God  and  Christ,  my  mind  was  so 
raised  above  things  earthly,  that  I  scarcely 
knew  where  I  was.  In  this  month,  as  scon 
as  the  birds  began  to  sing  in  the  morning,  I 
would  rise  and  go  to  a  certain  place  in  tbo 
woods  near  the  house  to  pray.  In  that  plac© 
I  often  enjoyed  what  kings  and  princes  nev- 
er knew,  unless  they  knew  the  Lord  of  Glo- 
ry. These  things  were  not  imaginary,  but  a 
reality,  kno'wn  in  a  greater  or*Jess  degree  by 
all  who  are  born  of  God. 

Notwithstanding  the  enjoyment  which  1 
had  in  the  things  taught  by  the  spirit,  often- 
times a  small  cloud  would  hide  the  sun  of 
righteousness  from  my  view,  and  cause  me  to 
doubt  whether  Christ  was  miue  or  not.     If 


ELIAS    SMITH,  /3 

at  any  time  sinful  thoughts  were  allowed  ;  if 
I  omitted  any  particular  duty,  or  let  my  mind 
rove  from  the  mark,  this  conclusion  would 
arise  in  my  mind  :  "  I  have  forsaken  the  Lord, 
and  now  he  has  forsaken  me."  One  thing, 
dwelt  much  on  my  mind,  which  was,  that  my 
experience  was  not  so  great  to  me  as  others 
was  to  them,  and  was  often  led  to  say,  "  if  I 
had  as  great  an  evidence  as  such  ones,  my 
doubts  would  all  be  gone  forever."  There 
were  two  vou.n<r  men  who  professed  to  be 
converted,  and  who  gave  me  a  very  clear 
evidence  that  they  were  born  of  God  ;  they  of- 
ten prayed  and  spake  in  public  meetings.  O, 
thought  I,  if  my  evidence  was  like  theirs,  my 
hope  would  be  forever  firm  !  About  this  time, 
I  dreamed,  that  an  angel  came  to  me,  and 
said,   «  you  often  doubt  whether   you   have 

sad  from  death  to  life,  and  think  if  you 
were  as  certain  of  your  own  conversion  as  you 
are  of  others,  you  should  doubt  no  more.  I 
am  sent  to  try  you  and  the  other  two  young 
men,  that  you  may  know  what  your  situation 
is.     Yon  and  they  are  to  be  tried  by  fire,  and 

se  who  endure  the  trial  arc  right,  and  the 
who  do  not  will  not  stand. "  This  gave  my 
mind  a  shock  ;  yet  in  my  dream  told  the  ari- 
i«.b  was  to  be  ri.-ht,  and  if  I  was 
asrbest  to  know  it  now.  I  dren 
ed  that  he  put  two  sticks  into  the  ground,  and 
laid  a  pole  across  the  top  of  the  two,  and 
made  a  fire  under  the  pole  he    laid  aero 

•oing  this,  he  took  three  long  pieces  of 

I  k.  thai  would  go  over  I  ,  and  e.; 


76  LIFE    OF 

ead  lie  on  the  ground;  when  he  had  done 
this,  lie  made  a  iire  under  one  of  the  pieces 
which  reached  it  and  burnt  it  off.  As  it  fell 
lie  said,  such  an  one  is  gone,  he  will  fall  awav, 
Ihis  was  one  of  the  young  men  which  gave 
me  such  an  evidence  of  being  converted.  Af- 
ter this  he  put  a  fire  under  the  second,  which 
was  the  way  the  other  young  man  was  to  be 
tried.  This  soon  burnt  off,  and  as  it  fell  he 
said,  the  other  one  would  not  endure  long. 
This  in  my  dream  filled  me  with  great  trou- 
ble, as  I  concluded,  if  these  two  failed,  there 
was  no  hope  for  me  ;  and  that  I  was  gone  for- 
ever. He  then  put  the  fire  under  the  third  ; 
I  stood  and  saw  the  blaze  touch  the  bark,  so 
that  it  was  considerable  scorched  ;  but  before 
it  burnt,  the  aii^el  threw  water  on,  which  kept 
it  in  that  situation  till  the  firef  was  gone  out. 
W hen  the  fire  was  done,  I  was  in  my  dream 
so  affected  with,  what  had  taken  place,  that  I 
rose  from  the  place  where  I  sat,  and  wept 
much  at  the  thought  of  being  the  only  one  of 
the  three  that  should  endure.  While  in  this 
weeping  situation,  I  dreamed  that  the  angel 
came  to  me  as  I  sat  weeping,  and  putting  hie 
right  hand  on  my  shoulder,  he  mildly  said, 
"  Weep  not  at  this,  the  Lord  has  appeared 
for  you,  and  will  preserve  you,  for  he  has  a 
great  work  for  you  to  do  in  the  world"  Tbis 
affected  me  more  than  all  I  had  seen  before. 
Being  much  agitated  with  whit  was  said  and 
done,  I  awoke,  and  was  in  the  same  situation 
that  I  dreamed  of  being  in.  My  face  was 
bathed  in  tears,  and  my  pillow  .was  wet  with 


ELIAS    SMITH.  Yd 

my  weeping.  I  thought  of  my  dream,  Ijut 
concluded  it  could  not  be  true  as  it  respected 
the  two  youug  men  or  myself.  I  feit  a  calm- 
ness of  mind,  and  every  circumstance  of  my 
dream  appeared  solemn  to  me.  It  was  not 
long  after  this,  that  my  dream  began  to  be 
fuliitied.  Tiie  oldest  of  the  two  young  men, 
began  after  a  while  to  grow  indifferent  to  the 
things  of  religion,  and  at  last  became  an  open 
opposer  of  the  things  he  once  recommended 
to  others,  and  before  one  year  from  that,  he 
returned  like  the  dog  to  his  ramt,  and  &# 
sow  that  was  washed,  to  her  wallowing  in  the 
mire.  After  thus  falling  away,  he  became  in- 
temperate and  a  desplser  of  those  that  were 
good,  and  so  remained  till  the  year  1814, 
len  he  was  taken  with  a  fever,  and  in  his 
aiess  blasphemed  the  (rod  of  heaven,  even 
till  his  latest  breath.  Thus  he  ended  his 
wretched  course,  after  turning  from  the  holy 
commandment  once  delivered  unto  hi 

The  other  young  man  eater  a  few  months, 
appeared  to  give  up  his  hope  in  Christ,  and 
so  remained  until  he  was  about  twenty  years 
old.  At  that  time  there  was  a  general  refor- 
mation, and  he  among  others  wras  brought  to 
rejoice  in  the  Lord,  was  baptized,  and  i  ; 
few  years  after  became  a  preacher  of  the  ever- 
lasting gospel,  aud  he  remains  to  t 
a  good  degree  a  faithful  minLsiea?  of  Jesus 
Christ.  i 


eg 


78  LITE    OF 

CHAPTER  Vin. 

Not  long  after  this  dream,  my  mind  was 
considerably  exercised  concerning  baptism  ; 
and  in  proportion  as  I  considered  myelf  a  be- 
liever  in  Christ,  in  the  same  proportion  I  con- 
sidered it  my  duty  to  be  baptized  after  the  ex- 
ample  of  Christ,  and  according  to  his  express 
command.  Being  young,  and  not  much  ac- 
quainted with  the  subject,  nor  with  the  dis- 
putes which  had  been  in  the  world,  I  consid- 
ered that  sprinkling  children,  and  baptizing 
by  burying  believers  were  both  right,  becausa 
I  knew  both  were  done  by  good  people.  As 
I  had  been  sprinkled  once,  it  appeared  to  me 
needless  to  have  it  done  again ;  for  if  it  an- 
swered the  purpose  designed  for,  it  need  not 
be  repeated,  and  if  it  ought  to  be  done  again, 
it  was  of  no  service  the  first  time.  This  sub- 
ject then  seemed  to  me  as  it  does  to  many 
now  ;  a  matter  of  indifference  as  to  the  mod^ 
or  subject,  allowing  it  is  done  somehow  and 
called  baptism.  My  ignorance  of  the  mean- 
ing  of  baptism,  was  the  cause  of  such  a  loose 
opinion  of  an  express  command  of  Jesus  Christ. 
After  thinking  and  conversing  some  upon  the 
subject,  and  being  by  some  advised  to  be  bap- 
tized,  I  concluded  to  have  some  conversation 
with  my  old  uncle,  who  had  used  such  vio- 
lence when  I  was  sprinkled.  He  had  many 
good  books,  was  a  ma*n  that  read  much,  and 
preached  sometimes.  One  day  being  at  hi* 
house,  I  introduced  the  subject  of  baptism, 
and  wished  his  mind  upon  it.     He  very  can- 


ELIAS    SMITH.  79 

didly  told  me  he  held  to  infant  baptism,  and 
was  entirely  satisfied  with  it,  and  that  as  I 
had  heen  christened  it  was  enough,  and  that  I 
might  as  well  be  contented  with  it,  observing 
that  when  the  baptists  began  to  ialk  upon  that 
it  always  made  a  stir.  He  also  stated  that  if 
he  had  time  he  would  prove  to  me  that  infant 
baptism  was  right,  and  a  command  of  God* 
This  pleased  me  much,  as  I  was  willing  to 
believe  it  true,  if  it  was  in  the  bible.  This 
ended  the  conversation  for  that  time.  After 
leaving  him,  I  began  to  search  the  new-tes- 
tament to  see  bow  baptism  stood  there.  My 
eyes  being  very  weak,  I  could  read  but  very 
little  ;  however,  a  circumstance  occurred,  about 
that  time,  which  greatly  assisted  me.  Anoth- 
er uncle,  who  first  shewed  me  the  geography, 
knowing  the  disadvantages  I  was  under, 
my  taste  for  reading,  and  having  a  particular 
regard  for  me,  said  he  had  a  pair  of  green- 
glasses,  which  would  help  me  to  read  with 
ease.  He  lent  them  to  me,  and  I  found  that 
they  were  a  great  help,  as  with  them  I  could 
read  hours  without  any  pain  in  my  eyes. 
Those  I  kept  till  I  owned  a  pair,  and  have 
used  them  to  this  day,  and  notwithstanding 
I  have  read  and  wrote  so  much  for  thirteen 
years  past,  my  sight  is  now  as  good  as  it  was 
thirty  years  ago. 

Having  this  new  and  unexpected  help,  I 
searched  the  new-testament  carefully,  and 
found  infant  baptism  was  not  there.  Being 
couvinced  that  believer's  baptism  was  the  only 
one  mentioned  in  ths  bible,  I  went  again  to 


80  LIFE    OF 

converse  with  my  uncle.  After  some  conver- 
sation, I  asked  hiin  where  the  place  was  that 
spake  of  infant  baptism.  He  said  he  did 
not  then  remember.  I  desired  him  to  see  if 
he  could  find  it.  He  then  said  it  came  in  the 
room  of  circumcision.  Then  I  asked  him  to 
tell  me  where  the  bible  said  so.  He  replied, 
Mr.  Fiavel  said  so,  and  that  it  was  not  best 
for  him  or  me  to  contradict  so  great  and  good 
&  man  as  Mr.  Fiavel.  *  I  then  asked  him  if 
Mr.  Fiavel  was  the  bible ;  he  said  no,  but  he 

s  as  likely  to  know  wbai  was  right  as  any 
man  ;  for  he  did  not  think  such  a  good  man 
would  say  so,  if  he  did  not  know  certain.  I 
then  told  him  that  infant  baptism  was  not  in 
■the  new-testament,  and  that  I  did  not  be- 
lieve it  wras  in  the  bible,  for  if  it  wras,  he  would 
at  least  know  one  place.  He  said  he  could 
prove  it,  if  tie  had  time.  This  he  had  till  he 
died,  but  never  told  me  where  to  read  it  in 
the  bible. 

Through  the  summer,  my  mind  was  calm, 
and  the  world  with  all  its  pomp  withdrew. 
One  thing  which  cruised  me  to  doubt  was  this:  I 
had  often  heard  old  professors  of  religion  tellja- 
bout  a  "luw  work";  this  I  bad  never  experien- 
ced, and  thought  from  this,  that  no  one  was  con- 
verted to  God  unless  he  had  experiencedthe  law 
work.  They  said  a  person  must  first  be  un- 
der the  terrors  of  the  law,  and  be  slain  by  the 
law  before  they  conld  be  saved  by  Christ. 
One  old  minister  said  a  person  could  not  be 
converted,  unless  he  was  under  the  law  at 
least  six  weeks  !     I  o&cc  heard  Dr.  Samuel 


ELIAS    SMITH,  81 

Shepherd  say,  "  that  such  preachers  thought 
a  person  must  be  hammered  upon  Moses5  an- 
vil, to  fit  them  to  be  filed  off  by  the  gospel." 
This  law  work  is  something  that  never 
takes  place  ;  what  some  call  the  law  work,  is 
the  work  of  that  gospel  that  comes  not  in  word 
only,  but  also  in  power,  the  Holy  Ghost,  and 
much  assurance.  The  spirit  reproves  the 
world  of  sin,  of  righteousness,  and  judgment. 
It  was  the  spirit  of  truth,  which  caused  Peter's 
hearers  to  be  pricked  in  the  heart,  and  not  the 
law  of  Moses.  Men  who  preach  that  a  sin- 
ner is  as  dead  as  Lazarus  in*  the  grave,  ar* 
inconsistent  in  saying  such  must  be  slain  by 
the  law ;  as  it  would  be  difficult  to  shew  how 
a  dead  man  could  be  slain.  What  long  tima 
had  Peter's  hearers,  the  jailor,  or  Paul,  to  ex- 
perience  this  long  law  work  ?  The  fact  is>  if  a 
person  loves  the  brethren,  he  has  passed  from 
death  to  life,  and  John  says,  we  know  it  is  so. 
Another  thing  greatly  troubled  me,  and  pre- 
vented my  submitting  to  baptism.  I  had  of- 
ten heard  Christian  people  tell  of  God's  jus- 
tice f  and  that  no  person  could  be  converted 
to  God,  unless  he  had  viewed  the  glory  of 
God's  justice.  This  I  believed,  buTdid  not 
know  as  my  mind  had  been  particularly  led 
into  that ;  though  before  I  ever  found  any 
peace,  it  appeared  to  me  just  to  be  cast  off  for- 
ever, for  my  sins  against  a  God  who  was  just 
in  all  Ms  ways.  One  day,  while  walking 
through  a  piece  of  ground  where  the  trees 
stood  thick  on  eacli  side  of  the  road,  my  mind 
was  remarkably  solemn,  while  viewing   th<* 


82  LIFE    OF 

works  of  God  around  me.  Amidst  this  solem- 
nity, this  thought  came  into  my  mind  :  O, 
that  I  could  see  God's  justice,  as  I  have  often 
heard,  christians  say  they  have  seen  it  I  In  an 
instant  it  appeared  to  me  that  a  light  from 
heaven  shone  around  me,  and  thai  justice  was 
manifested  to  my  understanding ;  which  I 
then  thought  meant  the  righteousness  of  God 
in  all  his  dealings  with  the  children  of  men. 
It  was  then  plain  to  me,  that  if  men  were  sav- 
ed or  lost,  God  would  he  just  :  and  I  then 
loved  God  because  he  was  righteous  in  all 
things.  This  passed  through  my  mind  :  "  If 
all  the  saints  and  angels  praise  God  for  his 
love,  I  shall  praise  him  for  his  justice/1  O 
"what  glory  appeared  injustice  !  It  appeared 
to  -me  thus,  "if  I  had  not  been  justly  con- 
demned, it  would  have  been  impossible  for  me 
to  have  been  justified,  as  one  who  deserved  to 
die  ;  and  God  has  set  forth  his  son  to  be  a 
propitiation,  that  he  might  be  just,  and  the 
justifies  of  him  that  belie  vetk  in  Jesus." 
There  is  one  thing  needful  to  be  mentioned 
here,  that  is,  a  principle  advanced  by  some, 
that  a  man  cannot  be  saved,  unless  he  is 
willing  to  be  damned.  This  is  false  doctrine, 
and  ought  never  to  be  credited  by  any  man. 
No  man  can  see  the  propriety  of  being  forgiv- 
en, unless  he  sees  it  just  for  him  to  be  pun- 
ished according  to  his  crime  ;  for  a  man  to 
see  he  justly  deser/es  to  die,  is  one  thing  :  to 
be  willing  to  have  the  sentence  of  death  exe- 
i  on  him  is  another.  If  n  man  is  willing 
to  be  damned,  he  must  be  willing  to  remain 


ELIAS    SMITH.  83 

in  a  state  of  condemnation,  for  no  others  can 
be  lost.  When  I  hear  such  doctrine  as  this 
advanced,  I  think  that  such  men  know  they 
preach  damnable  doctrine,  for  a  living  and 
that  they  menu  to  have  the  consent  of  their 
hearers  before  they  do  it. 

This  manifestation  of  justice  to  my  mind 
was  enough  to  remove  every  objection  out  of 
the  way,  as  to  being  baptized  ;  but  still  I 
shrunk  back,  and  kept  delaying  a  known  du- 
ty, till  in  a  few  months,  the  beauty  of  the 
command  disappeared,  and  by  disobedience  I 
lost,  by  little  and  little,  the  sweet  enjoyment, 
which  is  the  certain  fruit  of  obedience,  and 
in  the  course  of  about  six  months,  was  better 
pleased  with  my  situation,  than  though  I  had 
Veen  baptized.  Neglecting  this  duty,  led  me 
to  neglect  other  tilings  commanded  ;  as  these 
things  were  neglected,  my  evidence  of  being 
purged  from  my  old  sins  lessened,  until  at 
last  I  concluded  that  the  change  experienced, 
was  not  such  as  made  me  an  heir  of  God  and 
joint  heir  with  Christ.  Should  any  one  ever 
read  this,  who  lias  known  the  forgivuess  of 
sias,  and  peace  with  God ;  be  intreated  to  fol- 
low Christ  in  baptism,  and  in  all  things  com- 
manded :  so  you  will  be  kept  from  the  evil  in 
the  world,  live  near  to  God,  have  peace  in  your 
own  minds,  and  be  neither  barren  nor  unfruit- 
ful in  the  knowledge  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour 
•Tesus  Christ. 


84  LIFE    OF 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Though  I  had,  before  one  year,  lost  much 
of  the  enjoyment  which  was  so  great  for  sev- 
eral months,  yet  I  never  after  went  into  those 
sinful  courses  which  many  of  my  age  often 
are  found  in.  The  people  called  saints,  I 
ever  after  considered  the  excellent  of  the  earth. 
When  I  heard  good  preaching,  it  did  me  good, 
fed  my  mind,  and  I  spared  no  pains  to  hear 
those  preachers  who  were  in  the  spirit  of  the 
gospel.  The  winter  after  I  had  this  change, 
two  baptist  preachers  came  to  preach  at  the 
house  of  Jabez  Cottle,  Esq.  in  Woodstock, 
and  a  young  man,  an  exhorter,  by  the  name 
of  Joshua  Smith.  The  name  of  one  preach, 
er  was  Daniel  Hibbard,  and  thfr  other  Thom- 
es  Baldwin.  The  last  named  now  lives  in 
Boston,  and  is  styled  Rev.  Thomas  Baldwin, 
D.  D.  and  wears  a  dress  something  like  that 
worn  by  the  ancient  pagan  priests,  called  a 
surplice.  He  was  then  called  Elder  Bald- 
win. I  wras  exceedingly  charmed  with  the 
man  ;  he  was  then  about  thirty  years  old  ; 
was  a  well  built  man,  plainly  dressed  ;  and 
I  believe  felt  the  glory  of  God's  grace  in  his 
heart.  Elder  Hibbard  began  the  meeting  by 
prayer  and  singing,  and  after  singing,  he  said 
in  my  hearing,  "  Brother  Baldwin  I  believe 
you  must  preach,  for  I  do  not  feel  my  mind 
free."  Soon  after  he  spake,  Elder  Baldwin, 
came  forward  to  the  place  where  the  preacher 
was  to  stand,  and  took  up  the  bible  and  read 
ft>r  his  text  these  words  :  Heb.  xi.  17>  "  &J 


E.LIAS    SMITH.  85 

faith  Abraham,  when  he  was  tried,  offered  up 
Isaac  ;  and  he  that  had  received  the  promises, 
offered  up  his  only  begotten  son."  Every 
thing  about  the  man  pleased  me.  His  coun- 
tenance was  pleasant,  his  voice  melodious,  and 
his  subject  remarkably  engaging.  When  he 
described  the  conduct  of  Abraham,  in  offering 
up  his  son,  I  now  remember  some  of  the  words 
he  said  :  "  Did  he,  said  the  preacher,  like 
David,  go  crying  up  to  the  house  top,  saying 
O  my  son  Isaac,  would  to  God  I  had  died  for 
thee.  No,  no,  my  brethren,  but  without  a 
murmui'ing  thought,  or  word,  prepared  the  al- 
tar, the  wood,  and  bound  on  his  son,  determ- 
ined to  obey  his  God,  though  it  should  take 
from  him  his  son,  his  beloved  Isaac  !"  I 
then  said,  never  man  spake  like  this  man. 
Never  before  did  I  feel  so  strong  an  union  to 
any  man  as  to  that  man,  and  that  union  has 
continued  to  this  day,  and  I  believe  will,  till 
death  parts  us  ;  and  I  yet  hope  to  meet  him 
among  the  redeemed,  and  set  down  with  him 
in  the  kingdom,  with  Abraham,  and  Isaac  too, 
and  go  no  more  out.  When  duty  called  me 
to  part  from  him,  about  eleven  years  ago,  it 
was  the  hardest  parting  I  ever  knew  before. 
In  the  afternoon,  Elder  Hibbard  preached 
from  Psal.  cxxvi.  3,  "  The  Lord  has  done 
great  things  for  us,  whereof  we  are  glad." 
He  preached  well,  but  not  like  the  other  man. 
After  he  had  done,  the  young  man  delivered 
a  very  solemn  exhortation  ;  and  though  I  had 
almost  concluded  that  my  hope  in  Christ  wa» 
H 


86  LIFE    OF 

not  to  be  depended  on,  yet  this  was  a  good 
day  to  me. 

Having  neglected  to  obey  Christ  in  being 
baptized,  and  in  consequence  of  this,  neglect- 
ed other  things  required  of  a  christian,  my 
mind  began  to  cleave  to  the  earth  by  little  and 
little,  until  I  was  quite  destitute  of  heavenly 
enjoyment,  though  not  of  the  knowledge  of 
things  heavenly,  My  being  naturally  of  a 
very  bashful  turn,  kept  me  from  many  things 
which  others  ran  into  ;  and  in  addition  to  this, 
I  felt  an  aversion  to  company  ;  and  many 
times,  when  young  people  came  to  my  father's 
house,  I  would  retire  to  the  barn,  and  stay 
there  in  the  cold,  rather  than  be  with  them. 
One  reason  of  this  was,  I  concluded  that  I 
had  not  common  sense,  or  not  sense  like  other 
young  people  ;  and  that  by  keeping  from 
thetn,  they  would  not  know  how  great  a  fool 
I  was, 

The  summer  I  entered  my  eighteenth  year, 
the  knowledge  of  heavenly  things  received, 
was  so  much,  as  to  keep  me  from  a  sinful 
course  of  life  ;  and  an  idea  of  my  own  impor- 
tance, which  was  beyond  what  it  ought  to  be, 
fired  me  with  zeal  to  make  myself  respected 
among  those  of  my  age,  and  others  of  my  ac- 
quaintance. 

This  summer  I  worked  for  my  uncle,  who 
was  the  cause  of  my  being  sprinkled.  My 
chief  employment  was  hewing  timber.  While 
in  his  employ,  I  had  an  opportunity  to  peruse 
man y  of  his  books,  which  was  afterwards  of 
?reat  advantage  to  me.     It  was  here  that  I 


ELIAS    SMITH.  8? 

first  heard  of  such  a  science  as  logic  ;  and 
this  was  by  mere  accident.  A  baptist  preach- 
er, by  the  name  of  Joel  Butler,  was  at  my  un- 
'  clc's  house,  and  just  before  he  went  out  at  the 
door,  he  said  to  my  uncle,  "Have  you  Watts' 
logic  ?"  He  answered,  yes.  "  Will  you  lend 
it  to  me  a  few  days  ?"  My  uncle  said  he 
would,  and  handed  it  to  him.  This  seemed 
to  me  a  strange  title  for  a  book,  and  I  enquir- 
ed the  meaning  of  it.  After  it  was  returned, 
my  uncle  gave  me  liberty  to  read  it  at  his  house, 
but  would  not  let  me  carry  it  away.  I  read 
it  every  opportunity,  for  two  or  three  years, 
when  at  his  house.  He  shewed  me  another 
book  called,  «  Watts'  supplement  to  his  lo- 
gic." This  book  was  the  greatest  help  to  me, 
in  laying  a  foundation  for  reading,  and  ac- 
quiring knowledge  afterwards,  of  any  other 
book  I  had  ever  read.  In  one  chapter  was 
contained,  rules  for  helping  the  memory,  and 
this  I  greatly  needed,  as  it  appeared  to  me 
that  no  one  had  a  memory  so  weak  as  mine. 
It  was  ever  difficult  for  me,  before  this  time, 
to  remember  any  story,  so  as  to  tell  it  again 
intelligibly ;  and  often,  when  attempting  to 
relate  any  thing,  some  one  would  interrupt  me 
by  saying,  "If  I  were  in  your  place,  I  would 
never  tell  any  thing  till  I  could  remember  it, 
so  as  to  let  people  know  what  I  meant." 

Through  this  summer,  my  leisure  hours 
were  improved  in  reading  all  the  useful  books 
[  could  find..  Whenever  I  went  into  any 
house,  it  was  ray  practice  to  ask  the  privilege 
•f  reading  any  book  or  books  in  sistht.  Know- 


S8  LIFE    OF 

ing  my  ignorance,  and  thinking  my  natural 
abilities  were  small,  and  feeling  the  disadvan- 
tages of  such  inferiority,  I  was  determined  to 
rise  above  it  if  possible.  Being  in  a  new 
country,  where  there  was  no  advantage  of  a 
school,  nor  many  to  teach  me ;  being  poor, 
and  obliged  to  labor  constantly  ;  it  was  hard 
gaining  knowledge,  barely  by  such  dead  teach- 
ers as  books,  which  spake  only  to  my  eyes, 
and  never  repeated  their  meaning  in  other 
words.  It  was  this  summer,  that  I  first  heard 
of  such  a  science  as.  rhetoric.  This  I  read 
with  as  much  eagerness  as  an  hungry  man 
would  eat,  after  long  abstinence.  Looks, 
tones,  gestures,  motions  of  the  head,  hands  an4 
tody,  cadence,  emphasis,  &c.  were  strange 
things  to  me,  as  described  in  a  book ;  and  I 
concluded  there  were,  or  had  been,  men  in 
the  world,  who  knew  more  than  ever  entered 
into  my  mind,  or  ever  would.  At  this  time, 
all  I  wanted,  was  to  be  freed  from  labor  with 
my  hands,  and  have  the  privilege  of  acquir- 
ing such  knowledge,  as  would  make  me  use- 
ful  to  myself  and  others  ;  this  I  wished,  but 
never  expected.  This  year,  however,  was 
almost  the  last  year  of  hard  labor  with  my 
hands.  In  the  latter  part  of  the  summer,  af- 
ter entering  my  eighteenth  year,  by  overdoing, 
I  had  an  uncommon  faintness  at  my  stomach, 
caused  partly  by  hard  work,  and  partly  by 
reading,  and  thinking  so  intensely  upon  what 
I  had  read,  in  order  to  retain  it  in  memory. 
For  some  time  I  did  not  labor  any,  though 
»y  book  w  as  either  in  my  pocket,  or  open 


ELIAS    SMITH.  89 

before  my  eyes.  My  father  thought  reading 
hurt  me  more  than  hard  work,  and  told  me  to 
desist  for  a  while ;  but  this  was  an  hard  say. 
ing,  and  lest  he  should  be  displeased,  I  fre- 
quently went  into  the  wilderness,  and  there 
spent  the  day  in  reading  such  books  as  were 
in  my  possession.  In  September,  my  father 
proposed  to  me,  to  take  a  journey  to  Connecti- 
cut ;  thinking  a  change  of  climate,  and  the 
salt  water,  would  help  me.  This  I  did,  and 
after  six  weeks,  returned  home,  feeling  some 
relieved  of  that  faintness  which  I  had,  for 
several  weeks  been  exercised  with.  Soon 
after  my  return,  Jabez  Cottle,  Esq.  who  had 
been  a  peculiar  friend  to  me,  proposed  to  me 
to  take  a  school  one  month,  as  they  wished 
the  school  to  continue  longer  than  their  teach- 
er could  attend.  The  thing  was  proposed  to 
my  father  ;  whose  only  objection  was,  that  I 
had  no  learning.  My  friend  Cottle  told  him 
I  could  teach  the  children  A,  B,  C,  and  ab, 
and  that  was  the  chief  the  children  needed  to 
be  taught.  Under  every  disadvantage,  to  ap- 
pearance, I  entered  the  school-house  on  Mon- 
day morning,  and  soon  there  gathered  around 
me  a  little  company  of  scholars,  who  began 
to  call  me  master  ;  though  I  was  almost  as 
unfit  for  an  instructor  as  those  who  came  to  be 
taught ;  however,  I  was  determined  to  do  the 
best  in  my  power,  knowing  an  angel  could 
do  no  better.  Without  any  doubt  my  appear- 
ance as  a  school-master  was  rather  awkward, 
for  I  could  write  but  poorly,  and  did  nof  un- 
derstand the  rules  of  reading  ;  and;  to  save 
HS 


90  LIFE    W 

my  life,  could  enumerate  only  three  figures. 
My  wages  was  four  dollars  for  the  month,  to 
be  paid  in  wheat,  at  five  shillings  per  bushel, 
and  boarded  at  the  expence  of  the  district. 

My  scholars,  and  their  parents,  appeared 
contented  with  their  young  teacher ;  and  it  so 
happened  that  there  was  not  one  of  them  that 
knew  so  much  as  I  did ;  and  as  they  could 
gain  in  knowledge,  they  spake  well  of  their 
master,  and  he,  in  return,  encouraged  them  to 
proceed.  At  first  I  wag  afraid  they  would 
overtake  me,  but  soon  found  I  could  leara 
faster  than  my  scholars.  This  month  1  im- 
proved, when  out  of  school,  in  gaining  all  the 
useful  knowledge  possible  for  me  to  gain.  It 
was  my  practice  to  rise  early,  and  commit  to 
memory  a  lesson  from  "  Fenner's  grammar." 
My  time  of  study  was  from  day  light  till  five 
minutes  before  nine  o'clock  ;  that  time  it  took 
i»e  to  go  to  the  school-house.  My  intermis- 
sion was  one  hour.  Part  of  this  time  was 
employe^  in  reading  my  lesson.  At  four 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  my  school  was  out ; 
so  that  I  had  from  that  time  till  nine  o'clock, 
to  pursue  my  study,  which  time  I  daily  im- 
proved. Many  times  I  lay  hours,  in  fixing 
nay  lesson  in  my  memory,  and  endeavoring  to 
find  the  meaning  of  what  the  writer  said. 

When  other  young  people  were  spending 
their  time  in  amusements  to  no  piy)fit,  mine 
was  taken  up  in  gaining  something  that  might 
be  useful  in  a  future  day.  They  called  me 
a  fool ;  this  did  not  trouble  me,  as  their  opinion 
was  only  what  was  my  own  ;  and  a  fool  zip- 


ELIAS    SMITH.  (ft 

peared  to  me,  such  a  disagreeable  being,  that 
it  was  my  determination,  if  possible,  to  get  rid 
of  that  which  made  me  one,  which  was  igno- 
rance and  folly.  I  thought  that  poss  essing 
what  wise  men  possessed,  would  make  me 
wise,  and  this  I  greatly  desired. 

This  month  of  attending  school,  was  the 
first  part  of  my  public  life.     At  the  close  of 
the  month,  I  retired,  not  then  ever  expecting 
to  attend  to  that  kind  of  business  again.    One 
or  two  weeks  of  th©  time,  I  boarded  wlfch  my 
friend  Cottle,  who  was  considered  a  man  of 
good  learning  ;  he  taught  me  how  to  enumer- 
ate, and  told  me  every  third  figure  was  hun- 
dreds  ;  this  looked  plain,  and  I  considered  it 
an  acquirement,  not  to  be  parted  with  on  any 
account.   My  conduct  in  the  school,  gave  gen- 
eral  satisfaction  to  the  children  and  their  pa- 
rents.    The  children  hoped  I  should  teach 
them  again  the  next  spring.     So  the  business 
ended  for  that  year,  and  we  parted  in  peace. 
As  the  cold  weather  came  on,  my  health  be- 
came as  good  as  ever,  and  I  engaged  anew  in 
the  work  on  the  farm,  without  paying  much 
attention  to  the  things  of  religion  for  some 
time.     The  winter  of  my  eighteenth  year,  my 
father  allowed  me  ten  days  to  attend  school  to 
learn  arithmetic,  in  which  time  I  obtained  soma 
knowledge  of  the  science.     This  was- the  last 
time  of  my  attending  school,  and  all  attained 
to  that  time  was  but  little.     In  the  spring,  the 
same  complaint  returned  upon  me  again,  that 
I  had  the   year  before ;  which  was  caused 
chiefly  by  too  much  singing,  readi»g?  and  in- 


93  LIFE    OF 

tense  thinking  upon  what  I  read.  My  father 
seeing  my  situation,  told  me  if  I  could  get  in- 
to  any  business  that  was  not  too  hard,  that  it 
would  be  best,  as  he  and  my  other  two  bro- 
thers could  carry  on  the  farm.  In  conse- 
quence of  this,  I  undertook  a  school  for  six 
months.  This  brought  me  into  almost  the 
whole  I  wished  for.  There  was  an  opportu- 
nity for  me  to  earn  something,  and  as  much 
time  to  read  as  my  strength  would  bear.  My 
boarding  place  was  near  my  uncle's  house, 
who  owned  so  many  good  and  useful  books. 
He  allowed  me  to  read  any  of  them  at  his 
house.  My  daily  practice  was  to  eat  my 
breakfast  about  six  o'clock,  and  then  go  to  his 
house  and  read  till  fifteen  minutes  before 
school  time.  In  the  afternoon,  I  generally 
read  some  book  at  home,  and  in  the  evening, 
spent  some  time  with  my  friends  to  unbend 
my  mind.  This  summer  I  committed  almost 
the  whole  of  Webster's  grammar  to  memory  ; 
this  being  the  took  then  used  in  the  school. 
As  I  first  learnt  to  read  in  Dilworth's  spell- 
ing-book, and  learnt  his  grammar  first,  there 
was  a  constant  difficulty  attending  me,  which 
was  to  forget  the  old  fashion  of  reading,  while 
learning  Webster's  mode  of  pronunciation. 
This  difficulty  I  surmounted  after  a  length  of 
time.  At  the  close  of  six  months,  I  thought 
myself  considerably  well  qualified  to  teach 
others  in  that  new  country,  and  proposed 
teaching  larger  scholars  than  those  who  at- 
tended through  the  summer,  if  there  was  any 
place  where  it  might  be  done*    Late  in  tlu* 


KLIAS    SMITH.  93 

season,  not  far  from  December,  when  in  my 
nineteenth  year,  a  school  was  offered  me  in  a 
corner  of  Hartland,  joining  Woodstock,  where 
my  wages  would  be  higher.  There  was  an 
objection  to  that  place,  on  account  of  the  in- 
convenience of  the  house  ;  it  being  a  new, 
cold  dwelling-house.  Notwithstanding  this, 
I  engaged  to  teach  three  months,  to  begin 
the  first  of  December.  The  following  is  a 
correct  description  of  my  school-room.  All 
the  covering  upon  the  frame  was  hemlock 
boards,  featheredged,  as  it  is  termed,  and  nail* 
ed  on.  There  were  no  clapboards  on  the  ov,U 
side,  nor  plastering  or  sealing  upon  the  inside. 
The  chamber  floor  consisted  of  loose  boards, 
laid  down,  being  neither  jointed  nor  nailed. 
The  lower  Hoor  was  the  same,  ?.nd  there  was 
not  one  window  in  the  room.  All  the  light? 
excepting  what  came  through  between  the 
boards,  was  as  follows  :  there  were  two  or 
three  holes  cut  through  the  boards  of  the  side, 
and  end  of  the  house.  These  were  filled  np 
with  a  newspaper,  Spooner's  Vermont  Jour- 
nal, which  was  oiled  to  let  the  light  through, 
and  fixed  into  thin  strips  of  wood,  and  made 
fast.  These  were  all  the  windows  we  had. 
Sometimes  the  boys  would  by  accident  make 
a  large  hole  through  them  with  their  elbows. 
Often  when  I  first  came  into  the  room,  I  could 
discern  but  little.  In  this  cold,  dark,  incon- 
venient place,  I  spent  three  months,  instruct- 
ing others  according  to  the  best  of  my  abili- 
ties. This  winter,  by  reading  too  much,  my 
eyes  were  in  such  a  situation,  that  with  my 


04»  LIFE    OF 

glasses,  I  could  not  read  much,  only  as  I  kept 
,  a  particular  kind  of  eye-water  to  use  several 
times  in  a  day,  as  the  only  remedy  ;  and  to 
add  to  all  my  trouble  respecting  my  eyes, 
the  borrowed  glasses  I  had  used  were  called 
for,  so  that  my  time  of  reading  seemed  then 
to  be  over.  Soon  after  this,  it  was  told  me 
that  such  glasses  were  to  be  sold  at  Windsor, 
about  ten  miles  from  where  I  kept  my  school. 
Being  determined  not  to  be  hindred  from  read- 
ing, if  there  was  any  remedy  for  my  eyes,  I 
engaged  an  horse,  took  one  bushel  of  wheat 
in  a  bag,  and  after  midnight,  and  very  cold,  I 
get  out  for  Windsor. 

The  snow  was  deep,  the  path  poor,  the 
road  very  hilly,  and  the  weather  colcl.  Some- 
times I  rode  and  sometimes  walked,  to  pre- 
vent suffering  by  the  severity  of  the  weather. 
Just  as  the  day-light  appeared,  I  arrived  at 
the  store  where  it  was  said  green  glasses  were 
kept.  I  knocked  at  the  door  of  the  store  sev- 
eral times  ;  at  last  a  man  in  the  chamber,  half 
awake,  cried  out,  "  Who  is  there  ?"  I  re- 
plied, "  a  friend,"  He  spake  out  again, 
"  What  do  you  wrant  this  time  of  night  ?"  I 
told  him,  "  a  pair  of  spectacles."  "  We  have 
none,"  said  he.  This,  at  once,  sunk  my  rais- 
ed expectation.  I  then  asked  him  if  he  had 
any  green  spectacles.  "  Yes,"  said  he,  V  but 
it  is  too  cold  to  get  up  now."  I  told  him  my 
necessity,  and  how  far  I  had  come  in  the 
night,  and  that  he  must  let  me  have  them. 
He  was  quite  mad  at  my  urgency,  but  finally 
*anie  down   with  a  candle,  sJiewod  me  the 


ELIAS    SMITH.  95 

glasses,  and  told  me  the  price,  which  was  five 
shillings.  I  asked  him  if  he  would  take  some 
wheat  for  them.  "  Yes,"  said  he,  and  quite 
mad  about  it.  "  What  do  you  give  per  bush- 
el  ?"  "  Five  shillings,"  said  he.  All  my 
desire,  for  that  time,  was  granted.  I  took  the 
bag  off  the  horse,  and  brought  it  in,  good 
measure,  which  he  accepted.  I  bid  him  fare- 
well, and  he,  in  return  said  he  hoped,  if  I 
ever  wanted  any  more,  I  would  stay  for  them 
till  day-light.  I  rode  to  my  boarding-house 
about  breakfast  time,  and  by  nine  o'clock, 
was  ready  to  attend  my  school  as  usual.  All 
my  expence  and  trouble  was  hut  little,  com- 
pared to  the  glasses,  which  enabled  me  to  at- 
tend to  my  favorite  business  of  reading.  These 
glasses  I  kept,  and  used  constantly,  until  one 
year  after  my  first  residence  in  Portsmouth, 
in  the  year  180S.  Those  who  have  strong 
eyes,  and  every  advantage  for  an  education, 
know  but  a  little  of  the  disadvantages  people 
are  under^  in  my  situation  at  that  time. 


CHAPTER  X. 

When  about  eighteen  years  old,  I  borrow- 
ed  Entick's  dictionary  of  my  uncle,  and 
carried  it  in  my  pocket  wherever  I  went  for 
one  year,  that  whenever  a  new  word  was  men- 
tioned, I  might  know  the  meaning  ;  for  Dr. 
Watts  had  told  me,  in  his  book,  "  that  the 
time  to  know  the  meaning  of  a  word,  is 
when  you  first  hear  it.,;     My  determination 


96  LIFE    OF 

was  to  attend  strictly  to  that  rule.  When  I 
heard  a  preacher,  my  practice  was  to  carry 
my  pen  and  ink,  and  set  down  every  word 
the  preacher  used,  I  did  not  understand,  and 
when  at  home,  write  from  the  dictionary,  the 
meaning  against  the  word,  on  my  paper. 
Paying  close  attention  to  the  words  spoken, 
caused  me  better  to  retain  the  subject  spoken 
upon  ;  and  soon  after  taking  down  words 
from  the  preacher,  I  began  to  write  down  his 
text,  and  propositions  ;  in  this  way,  in  a  few 
months,  I  was  able  to  retain  the  text  and  par- 
ticulars, without  my  pen,  ajnd  at  last  to  retain 
the  greater  part  of  the  sermon. 

From  this  small  beginning,  my  memory 
gained  to  that  degree,  that  for  many  years,  I 
have  generally  been  able  to  retain  a  sermon, 
so  as  to  repeat  the  principle  part,  after  hear- 
ing it.  Before  I  entered  upon  this  method, 
it  appeared  to  me  that  no  person  had  a  poor* 
er  memory  than  mine.  Watts'  supplement 
of  logic,  mentioned  this  as  a  way  to  improve 
the  memory,  and  it  was'  my  determination  to 
know  if  he  told  the  truth  about  the  memory. 
These  things  are  mentioned  to  encourage 
young  people  to  persevere,  even  when  they 
have  not  the  fairest  prospects  before  them. 
It  was  my  practice  through  the  winter,  wrhen 
attending  this  school,  to  improve  all  the  time 
excepting  school  hours,  in  gaining  useful 
knowledge,  though  under  many  embarrass- 
ments ;  none  of  which  ever  in  the  least,  moved 
me  from  the  pursuit  of  useful  knowledge. 


ELIAS    SMITH.  97 

In  the  course  of  this  winter,  when  in  my 
nineteenth  year,  my  mind  was  exercised  upon 
the  same  things  which  appeared  to  me  so  glo- 
rious the  summer  after  my  conversion  ;  and 
my  affections  seemed  gradually  to  be  fixed 
upon  the  things  of  God  and  Christ,  superior 
to  all  things  earthly.  They  appeared  tome 
the  best,  but  I  thought  they  were  forfeited  by 
my  wandering  so  far  from  God  ;  and  conclud- 
ed, that  if  the  enjoyment  was  ever  restored, 
a  great  share  of  punishment  must  first  be  in- 
flicted on  me.  At  one  time  the  words  of  Je- 
remiah were  peculiarly  comforting  and  en- 
couraging to  me.  "  Go  and  proclaim  tlese 
words  towards  the  north,  and  say,  return, 
thou  backsliding  Israel,  saith  the  Lord,  and 
I  will  not  cause  mine  anger  to  fall  upon  you  5 
for  I  am  merciful  saith  the  Lord,  and  I  will 
not  keep  auger  forever.  Only  acknowledge 
thine  iniquity,  that  thou  hast  transgressed 
against  the  Lord  thy  God,  and  hast  scattered 
thy  ways  to  strangers  under  every  green  tree  ; 
and  ye  have  not  obeyed  my  voice  saith  the 
Lord."  Jer.  iii,  12,  13.  These  words  en^ 
couraged  me  to  confess,  forsake,  and  hope  to 
find  mercy.  Through  this  winter  I  converge 
ed  with  experienced  christians,  read  the  scrip- 
ture some,  and  constantly  prayed  with  n 
scholars,  and  felt  determined  in  future,  to  w 
in  newness  of  life. 

Much  of  the  time  there  was  a  great  solemni- 
ty on  my  mind,  and  things  eternal  appeared 
worth  pursuing.  At  this  time  some  of  the 
people  who  belonged  to  the  baptist  church, 


98  LIFE    OF 

mentioned  to  me,  that  they  thought  I  should 
in  some  future  day  be  called  to  preach  the  gos- 
pel of  Christ.  There  was  at  that  time,  noth- 
ing more  foreign  from  me,  as  I  considered 
myself  destitute  of  every  qualification  need- 
ful for  such  an  important  and  glorious  work. 
In  the  spring,  after  finishing  my  school,  I  re- 
turned to  my  father's  house,  with  a  determina- 
tion to  attend  to  my  former  employment,  la- 
boring on  the  farm,  and  the  carpenter's  busi- 
ness, in  which  1  greatly  delighted.  The  log- 
house  we  built  at  first,  began  to  decay,  and 
we  needed  another,  and  it  was  my  determina-. 
tion  to  build  a  new  framed  house.  We  all 
labored  hard  through  the  summer,  in  clearing 
our  land  of  timber  and  making  preparations 
for  building  an  house  the  next  year.  Late  in 
the  fall,  we  cut  logs  for  boards,  and  piled 
them  up,  in  order  to  carry  them  to  the  mill  in 
the  winter.  As  soon  as  the  snow  fell  so  as 
to  make  good  sledding,  I  began  to  carry  them 
to  the  mill,  which  was  about  three  mile9. 

I  continued  in  the  wrork,  carrying  about  one 
each  day,  till  I  had  landed  sixty.  There  was 
scarcely  any  weather  that  prevented  my  go- 
ing every  day.  The  following  was  my  dress 
through  the  winter  :  A  checked  woollen  shirt, 
after  the  Connecticut  fashion  ;  woollen  pan- 
taloons, as  the  cloth  came  out  of  the  loom,  with- 
out being  fulled  at  all ;  a  waistcoat  and  frock 
of  the  same  ;  woollen  stockings,  and  what  w« 
called  buskins  tied  over  my  shoes,  and  a  pair 
of  mittens,  which  I  seldom  wore.  This  was 
my  winter  dress  ;  without  any  great  coat  or 


ELIAS    SMITH.  99 

uurfout,  a  kind  of  garment  I  never  owned  till 
the  winter  before  I  was  twenty -one  years  old. 
Soon  after  my  sledding  work  was  over,  the 
season  for  making  sag  ir  came  on,  which  we 
improved  to  good  advantage.  As  soou  as  this 
work  was  over,  before  we  could  work  on  the 
land,  my  father  and  two  brothers  began  to  get 
the  timber  for  the  house,  which  I  hewed  the 
whole  of,  while  they  prepared  it  for  hewing. 
To  make  our  boards  hold  out,  I  went  even- 
ings  after  work  to  the  saw-mill,  two  or  three 
nights  in  the  week,  and  set  up  through  the 
whole  night,  to  saw  the  logs  I  had  carried  to 
the  mill,  atid  so  saved  one  quarter  of  the  whole. 
This  was  hard  work,  but  was  the  best  we 
could  do  at  that  time.  By  the  time  the  ground 
was  settled,  we  had  our  sugar  made,  timber 
hewed,  and  boards  sawed  ready  to  put  on  to 
the  frame,  as  soon  as  it  was  raised,  arid  some 
nails  paid  for  besides.  In  the  time  of  clear- 
ing, ploughing,  &c.  I  worked  with  oxen, 
plough  and  harrow,  for  my  uncle,  who  was  a 
carpenter,  and  did  enough  to  pay  him  for 
framing  the  building,  with  what  we  expected 
to  help  him.  Every  thing  at  this  time  ap- 
peared prosperous,  and  I  concluded  my  future 
business  would  be  to  work  on  the  farm,  ou 
timber,  in  hewing  and  framing  it,  with  many 
other  things  equally  imaginary.  After  plant- 
ing,  we  got  the  timber  together  on  the  chosen 
spot,  where  the  house  was  to  be  built.  The 
last  stick  was  brought  on  Saturday  afternoon, 
and  on  Monday  we  were  to  begin  to  frame  the 
house.     I  had  labored  for  several  mouths  he- 


100  LIFE    OF 

youd  a  medium,  and  about  thi3  time  to  a  great 
extreme.  On  Sunday,  I  went  to  meeting  and 
returned  as  usual.  Itt  the  evening,  a  young 
mau  of  my  acquaintance,  came  to  see  me,  and 
we  sat  some  distance  from  the  house  in  open 
air,  till  about  ten  o'clock,  without  a  coat  of 
any  kind.  The  evening  was  foggy,  and  sit- 
ting there  I  took  a  violent  cold,  and  the  next 
morning,  by  the  time  the  master  workman  and 
others  came  to  frame  the  house,  the  pain  in  my 
head  was  so  violent,  that  I  was  hardly  able  to 
go  where  they  were  at  work. 

In  the  afternoon,  I  went  out  and  endeavor- 
ed to  work,  but  was  obliged  to  return.  The 
pain  in  my  head  was  so  severe,  that  the  night 
seemed  long  and  tedious,  and  part  of  the 
time  I  was  in  a  kind  of  delirum,  and  imagin- 
ed some  person  wts  drawing  the  sills  and 
plates  of  the  house  through  mv  head.  The 
next  day,  a  physician  was  sent  for.  as  it  was 
thought  a  fever  would  be  the  consequence  of 
my  cold.  The  physician  took  considerable 
blood  from  me,  which  greatly  relieved  the 
pain  in  my  head.  Every  other  day,  my  head 
was  easy,  and  though  not  confined  to  the  bed, 
nor  wholly  to  the  house,  yet  I  was  unable  to 
do  any  work,  and  the  only  food  I  could  eat 
was  milk  boiled  and  thickened  with  flour.  I 
remained  in  this  situation  about  fifteen  days, 
and  was  so  well  as  to  go  oat,  but  not  able  ta 
work.  This  seemed  to  be  against  all  my 
worldly  plans,  and  as  I  thought,  much  to  my 
disadvantage.  As  soon  as  I  was  able  to  read, 
my  attention  was  turned  to  the  bible,  and  a 


ELIAS    SMITH.  iOi 

friend  of  mine  told  me  of  a  book  called  Can* 
ne-s  quotation  bible,  and  lent  me  the 
same,  having  shewed  sue  the  meaning  of  the 
quotations.  This  was  the  first  of  my  know- 
ing there  was  such  a  book  in  the  world. 

Mjr  father  told  me  one  day,  that  he  thought 
it  best  for  me  to  give  up  the  idea  of  trying  to 
help  him,  as  it  appeared  to  him  that  1  had 
some  other  business  to  do  besides  laboring 
with  my  hands  ;  and  also  said  he  did  not 
think  I  should  be  able  to  do  any  more  work 
that  summer.  At  this  time,  having  in  some 
measure  given  up  my  earthly  prospects,  ray 
mkid  seemed  uncommonly  fixed  on  the  scrip- 
tures, as  a  treasure  to  be  desired.  What  he 
said  deeply  impressed  my  mind,  as  I  could 
not  tell  what  he  meant  ;  but  rather  concluded 
he  thought  I  might  not  livfe  long.  He  advis 
ed  me  to  get  a  school  again,  and  told  me  I 
might  have  all  my  wages.  With  this  advice, 
I  engaged  a  school  at  the  house  where  I  first 
began  in  that  business,  and  attended  it  till 
October,  improving  all  my  leisure  hours  in 
reading  the  quotation  bible,  which  I  carried 
in  my  pocket  one  year,  instead  of  the  diction- 
ary. This  was  a  solemn  summer  to  me,  as 
it  appeared  to  me  that  all  my  earthly  pros- 
pects  were  cut  off,  and  I  could  not  tell  why 
it  was  so.  Sometimes  it  appeared  to  me  as  a 
judgment  for  leaving  my  first  love  ;  sometimes 
it  was  to  give  me  a  time  to  prepare  for  death  ; 
and  at  other  times  thought  it  misrfit  be  that 
some  other  business  was  laid  out  for  me  in 
>  world,  especially  when  so  many  frequent- 
13 


103  LIFE    Of 

ly  told  me,  they  expected  one  day  to  see  rae 
a  preacher  of  the  gospel  ;  and  when,  in  my 
twentieth  year,  I  sometimes  thought  whether 
this  might  not  be  my  duty,  particularly  when 
my  mind  was  so  lead  to  search  and  understand 
tke  scriptures.  One  thing  my  mind  was  fixed 
upon,  which  was,  never  to  try  to  preach,  un- 
less I  had  an  evidence  that  the  God  of  Heav- 
en called  me  to  the  work.  I  also  thought  iir 
best  to  know  the  scriptures,  so  that  if  I  should 
ever  be  called  to  preach,  I  might  in  some 
measure  be  qualified  to  obey. 

At  the  time  my  school  was  closed,  my  fath- 
er and  mother  were  gone  to  Lyme,  in  Con- 
necticut,  to  visit  their  friends.     I  stayed  at 
my  father's  house  some  time,  waiting  for  their 
return.      As  they  tarried  longer  than  they 
calculated  when  tKey  left  home,  I  concluded 
to  journey  to  Connecticut,  and  spend  the  win- 
ter there,  if  I  could  find  a  school.     One  cause 
of  this  conclusion  was,  I  had  sometimes  in 
that  summer  and  fall,  felt  a  desire  to  speak 
of  the  things  of  the  scriptures  inra  public  as- 
sembly ;  but  being  where  I  was  brought  up, 
it  was  an  hard  place  to  begin.     I  also  thought 
it  would  be  a  less  cross  to  speak  among  stran- 
gers ;  this,  with  the  hope  of  getting  a  school, 
encouraged,  or  caused  me  to  undertake  the 
journey.     It  was  about  two  hundred  miles  to 
jLyme,  where  I  intended  to  go  on  foot,  and 
but  little  money  to  help  me  along.     I  took 
Borne  food  in  my  pack,   and  my  bible  and 
spelling-book.     This  was  about  all  my  prop- 
erty  at  that  tiiae,  not  having  avea  ft  gveat 


ELIAS    S31ITH.  103 

Mat,  let  the  weather  be  ever  so  tedious,  or 
the  storm  ever  so  violent.  The  second  day 
in  the  afternoon,  it  rained,  but  I  pursued  my 
journey. 

When  within  about  one  mile  of  Walpole 
meeting-house,  in  Newhainpshire,  I  met  my 
father  and  mother  returning  home   from  their 
journey.      They  were  surprised  at   meeting 
me  there,  and  I  glad  to  see  them.     My  father 
asked  me  what  I  meant  by  being  there,  and 
where  I  was  going,  what  my  intentions  and 
prospects  were,  &c.     I  told  him  my  school 
was  out  in  Woodstock,  that  I  was  tired  of 
staying  there  to  earn  so  little,  and  thought  a 
journey  to  the  sea  would  be  for  my  health ; 
and  that  I  thought  of  getting  a  school  in  some 
small  place,  by  which  I  might  be  able  to  get 
some    clothes,    and   other   things  I  needed. 
They  were  both  very  much  afiecied  at   my 
situation,  as  a  stranger  and  poor,  not  knowing 
what  might  befall  me  :  but  confiding  in  my 
honesty,  and  faithfulness,  they  made  no  ob- 
jections to   my   proceeding  on  the  intended 
journey.     My  father  told  me  he  could  not  let 
me  have  any  money,  as  he  had  only  enough 
to  get  home    with.     I  told   him   that   there 
would  be  no  difficulty  in  getting  through  my 
journey.     They  gave  me  some  cakes,  which 
they  could    spare,  told    me  to   behave   well 
wherever  I  went ;  hoped  I  should  do  well  ; 
wept  net  a  little  at  parting  with  me,  and  bid 
me  farewell.     Thus  we  parted,  in  the  rain, 
and  I  never  heard  from  them,  nor  they  from 
me,  till  the  latter  part  of  the  next  March, 


104  LIFE    OF 

CHAPTER  XL 

After  parting  wifh  my  parents,  I  walked 
to  the  first  public  house,  stood  by  the  fire 
and  dried  my  clothes,  eat  some  of  my  cold 
victuals,  and  travelled  till  night,  and  was 
then  about  sixty  miles  from  my  father's  house. 
The  third  day,  towards  night,  two  young  men 
in  a  two  horse  waggon,  bound  to  Lebanon, 
overtook  me  ;  I  asked  them  if  they  could  give 
me  a  ride,  as  I  had  no  money  to  pay  them. 
One  of  them  said,  "  jump  into  the  waggon." 
This  opportunity  I  gladly  embraced,  and  they 
carried  me  about  forty  miles  each  day.  Satur- 
day, about  sun-down,  we  arrived  at  Spring- 
field, Mass.  where  they  were  to  tarry  till 
Monday.  They  told  me  if  I  would  stay  till 
Monday  they  would  carry  me  to  Bolton,  which 
was  within  a  few  miles  of  where  I  was  ac- 
quainted. This  proposal  I  accepted,  and  stayed 
at  the  tavern,  living  upon  cold  food  from  my 
pack,  with  cool  water  from  the  well. 

Sunday  afternoon,  I  went  to  meeting,  and 
heard  a  man  preach,  called  Dr.  Howard.  As 
I  had  been  brought  up  in  the  woods,  every 
thing  in  such  a  great  town  as  Springfield  at- 
tracted  my  attention  ;  particularly  things  un- 
der the  name  of  religion.  Being  a  stranger, 
I  went  into  the  gallery,  opposite  to  the  prea- 
cher, where  I  could  see  and  hear.  The  first 
thing  that  drew  my  attention  was  the  meeting- 
house, which  was  adorned  beyond  what  I  had 
ever  seen  in  the  log  meeting-houses  in  Ver- 
mont.    It  was  solemn  to  me,  as  I  was  told  it 


ELIAS    SMITH*  £0* 

was  the  house  of  God.  The  next  thing  I  no- 
ticed was  the  dress  of  the  people,  particularly 
the  young  men,  who  were  in  costly  array,  com- 
pared to  my  clothing.  The  third  object  which 
set  me  to  staring  was  the  minister,  who  made 
such  an  appearance  as  I  had  never  before  seen. 
In  the  first  place,  he  had  a  long,  black,  out- 
side garment  on,  with  a  broad  belt  of  the  same 
round  his  waist.  The  sleeves  I  then  thought 
were  as  wide  as  the  meal  bags  used  in  Ver- 
mont. It  then  seemed  strange  to  me  that  he 
should  have  such  great  sleeves,  unless  Vis 
arms  were  so  stifi"  that  he  could  not  wear  hnch 
as  were  near  the  size  of  his  arms.  Next  he 
h&d  something  fastened  under  his  chin,  which 
then  appeared  to  me  Mko  TThat  tirt  dnilurSS  III 
Connecticut  used  to  wear,  when  they  were  cut- 
ting their  teeth,  called  a  bibb.  Why  he  wore 
it  was  unknown  to  me.  In  addition  to  this, 
he  had  on  his  head,  what  Dr.  Baldwin  used 
to  call  r  folio  wig.  Tliis  was  very  large,  white 
and  powdered  ;  or  as  I  then  thought,  <5o?ercNI 
over  with  flour.     From  all  this  pompous  ap- 

vance,  I  supposed  much  divinity  and  good 
nritfer  w<is  contained  in  the  head,  the  wig  con- 
tained. My  mind  was  serious,  and  search- 
ing for  truth,  not  knowing  the  tricks  and  hy- 
pocrisy which  has  been  played  upon  the  peo- 
ple by  men  in  such  a  gar!)  as  this.     When  he 

d  his  psalm,  it  was  in  a  cold,  dull,  lifeless 
manner.  Wftefi  he  prayed,  his  prayer  was 
as  long  as  a  Pharisee's  prayer,  if  I  "mistake 
not.  My  legs,  head  and  heart  were  all  unea- 
»y  before  he  had  done.     At  leagth  he  closed. 


i06  LIFE   OF 

and  all  the  people  took  their  seats.  After 
singing;  instead  of  taking  the  bible,  as  I  ex- 
pected, he  took  a  small  quarto  book  and  laid 
it  open  upon  his  cushion,  saying  with  a  mod- 
erate tone  of  voice,  with  his  eyes  on  his  book, 
"The  portion  of  God's  holy  word  proposed 
for  your  sincere  meditation  and  reflection,  is 
recorded  in  James  iii.  17  *  But  the  wis- 
dom which  is  from  above  is  flrst  pure,  then 
peaceable,  gentle,  and  easy  to  be  entreated, 
full  of  mercy  and  good  fruits,  without  partiali- 
ty, and  without  hypocrisy/5  He  said  a  few 
things  about  wisdom  in  a  cold,  lifeless  manner, 
and  then  said,  a  wise  man  is  so,  and  so  ;  and 
then  on  the  other  hand,  an  unwise  man  was 
the  opposite  of  all  these  good  things  which 
the  wise  man  had.  As  I  understood  him,  a 
good  citizen  was  as  good  a  christian  as  he 
knew.  He  seemed  to  make  his  wise  man  out 
of  nothing.  On  the  whole,  his  sermon  was 
flat  as  the  canvas,  and  cold  as  the  marble  ; 
and  I  was  glad  when  he  said,  "  Amen  :  Let  us 
pray."  As  there  was  nothing  impressive  in 
the  discourse  coldly  read  to  the  people,  so  it 
made  no  impression  on  the  people,  and  we 
were  all  dismissed  to  go  where  we  pleased. 
On  Monday  morning,  we  set  off  early  on  our 
journey,  I  arrived  at  Bolton,  and  went  to  the 
house  of  Mr.  Atherton,  son  of  the  old  man, 
who  lived  where  I  heard  Elder  Grow  preach 
in  the  orchard  some  years  before.  He  and 
his  family  received  me  kindly,  for  the  sake  of 
my  father  and  mother,  who  had  left  their  house 
a  few  days  before.     They  bid  me  welcome  t» 


ELIAS    6MITH.  107 

their  house  so  long  as  I  choose  to  tarry  with 
thein.  At  this  time  my  mind  was  very  seri- 
ous, and  those  things  which  please  the  youth 
in  genera],  had  no  pleasure  in  them  for  me.  I 
made  it  my  constant  practice  to  read  my  bible^ 
watch  my  thoughts,  words,  and  actions,  and 
pray  for  instruction,  wisdom,  preservation,  and 
the  duty  required  of  me  in  all  things,  and  con- 
versing at  times  with  the  family  and  others 
upon  things  of  religion,  which  then  were  to 
me,  of  all  things  the  most  important.  My  ap- 
pearance, and  manner  of  life  drew  the  atten- 
tion of  many  in  the  neighborhood,  of  old  and 
young,  who  in  my  short  stay  at  Mr.  Atherton's 
house,  came  to  see  me  and  hear  my  conversa- 
tion. At  that  time,  and  in  that  place,  it  was 
considered  a  strange  thing  for  a  person  of  my 
age  to  talk  of  religion,  and  manifest  an  aver- 
sion to  the  course  of  youth  in  general.  At 
that  time  the  baptists  held  their  meeting  at 
the  same  house  where  they  met  when  I  wa3 
twelve  years  old.  There  was  one  man  wh® 
improved  among  them,  by  the  name  of  Victo- 
rious Smith,  and  another,  a  deacon,  who  im- 
proved some,  and  wished  to  be  a  preacher. 

On  the  first  day  of  the  week,  I  went  with 
the  family  to  the  meeting,  hoping  to  hear  some- 
thing calculated  to  edify  and  instruct.  Mr. 
Smith  undertook  to  preach  in  the  forenoon. 
He  was  a  man  of  great  moderation  as  to  words, 
or  rather  slow  on  speech,  and  a  slowr  tongue. 
After  the  usual  form  of  singing  and  praying, 
he  stood  up  and  read  for  his  text  the  follow- 
ing words  ;  Acts  xx.  8.     "  *ind  there  were 


iOS  LIFE    ©P 

many  lights  in  the  wpper  chamber  where  they 
were  gathered  together."  I  wondered  why 
lie  took  such  a  text  to  preach  from,  and  was 
at  a  loss  what  he  would  do  with  it,  besides 
shewing  that  Paul  did  not  preach  in  a  dark 
room,  though  he  preached  in  the  night.  The 
man  discovered  some  invention,  which  was  pe- 
culiar to  himself.  He  did  not  first  divide  his 
text  into  propositions,  but  mentioned  one  at  a 
time.  First j  he  said  he  should  prove  that  the 
house  was  three  stories  high  ;  though  it  was 
but  one  house.  He  said  that  it  was  evident 
the  house  was  three  stories  high,  because  Eu- 
tyehus  fell  down  from  the  third  loft  ;  this 
statement  I  doubted,  and  still  doubt  ;  for  a 
loft  signifies  rooms  on  high,  and  if  there  were 
three  lofts,  there  must  be  one  room  on  the 
ground.  Having  thus  proved  that  the  house 
was  three  stories  high,  and  yet  but  one  house, 
he  stated,  secondly,  that  Noah's  ark  was  three 
stories  high,  and  yet  but  one  ark.  This  prop- 
osition took  me  from  Troas  where  Paul  preach- 
ed, to  mount  Arrarat,  where  the  ark  rested. 
He  gave  some  description  of  the  ark  ;  told  us 
that  the  beasts  were  in  the  first  story,  the  birds 
in  the  second,  and  Noah  and  his  family  in  the 
third.  Next  he  called  our  attention  lo,  1  John 
v.  7,  a  For  there  are  three  that  bear  record 
in  heaven,  the  Father,  the  Word,  and  the  Ho* 
ly  Ghost,  and  these  three  are  one."  Having 
read  this  text,  he  stated,  thirdly,  that  there 
were  three  persons  in  the  G  >dbead,  and  yet 
but  one  God.  The  man  discovered  some  in- 
genuity in  his  discourse,  as  he  brought  such 


ELIAS    SMITH,  109 

thuigs  to  prove  the  docirinc  called  the  trinity, 
as  perhaps  were  never  brought  before  iior 
since.  At  that  time  I  did  not  know  that  spell 
ft  doctrine  was  ever  disputed,  and  of  course, 
thought  lie  proved  it  very  well.  As  there  is 
no  scripture  for  such  a  doctrine  as  this,  that 
three  persons  are  one  person,  the  lighted  cham- 
ber where  Paul  preached,  and  Noah's  ark 
are  as  much  proof  of  it,  as  any  other  text  in 
the  bible  ;  and  i  Cliron.  u  1,  "  Adam,  Sheth, 
Enos,"  is  as  much  proof  of  it  as  what  he,  or 
any  other  man,  can  bring  from  the  bible.  The 
people  sat  very  contented  to  hear  the  trinity 
illustrated  from  the  supposed  three  storied 
house,  Noah's  ark,  and  1  John,  v.  7«  Some, 
after  meeting,  told  me  they  did  not  see  into 
the  subject. 

One  remark  upon  this  kind  of  preaching. 
Some  men,  when  they  speak  upon  the  scrip- 
ture,  instead  of  telling  people  what  one  or 
more  verse*  mean,  get  their  subject  first,  and 
then  search  for  some  passage  of  scripture,  as 
a  bowl  in  which  they  may  hand  the  subject 
to  the  people.  One  preacher  had  it  in  his 
mind  to  tell  an  assembly  that  the  law  of  God 
was  once  obeyed  by  Adam,  disobeyed  by  his 
children,  and  obeyed  by  Christ.  When  he 
got  into  the  meeting-house,  he  forgot  the  text 
he  meant  to  read,  though  he  remembered  the 
subject.  Being  a  little  confused  at  the  loss 
of  his  text,  he  turned  his  bible  over  to  find 
some  words  that  would  agree  with  his  subject, 
and  in  turning  over  his  bible  came  to  these 
words,  "  That  was,  and  is  not,  and  yet  h.f 

K 


HO 


LIFE    OF 


This  seemed  exactly  to  agree  with  his  sub- 
ject, and  without  looking  at  the  connexion,  Le 
read  it,  and  preached  to  the  general  sati 
tion  of  those  who  heard  him.  After  ne  bad 
done,  another  preacher  rose,  and  told  the  }  eo- 
ple,  that  they  had  heard  a  good  and  ir 
tant  subject,  which  he  hoped  they  would  at- 
tend to  ;  but,  said  he,  you  have  not  heard  the 
meaning  of  the  text;  for  that  which  was,  p,nd 
is  not,  and  yet  is,  came  out  of  the  bottomless 
pit,  and  will  go  into  perdition  ;  hut,  said  he, 
the  law  of  God  will  not  go  there.  The  preach- 
er  was  much  mortified,  and  apologized  by 
telling  them  he  had  forgotten  his  other  text, 
So.  The  other  man,  to  comfort  him,  told 
Rim  privately,  that  he  hoped  in  future  he 
would  find  his  text  first,  and  then  find  the 
subject  in  it  ;  in  this  way  he  would  always 
Jbave  the  right  text. 

In  the  afternoon,  1  heard  the  deacon  en- 
deavor  to  preach.  It  was  said  that  he  wras 
the  only  man  in  all  that  part  of  the  country, 
that  thought  he  bad  a  public  gift.  His  text 
wras  this  :  Eccles.  iii.  1,  "To  every  thing 
there  U  a  season,  and  a  time  to  every  purpose 
under  the  heaven.**  Solomon  in  the  seven 
following  verses  mentions  a  time  for  twenty- 
eight  things  to  be  done.  The  deacon,  to  il- 
lustrate the  subject  in  his  text,  undertook  to 
explain  upon  these  twenty-eight  particulars, 
and  what  he  said  upon  some  of  them,  was 
sufficient  to  make  any  modest  woman  blush 
behind  her  ears,  if  such  a  thing  is  possible. 
I  held  my  head   down,   till  be   had   done. 


ELI  AS    SMITH.  Ill 

Some  thought  me  drowsy,  but  I  hardly  think 
Eutychus  could  have  slept  under  such  a  dis- 
course. It  was  the  worst  I  ever  heard.  A 
man  of  sense  would  have  been  ashamed  to 
deliver  such  a  discourse  to  a  score  of  idiots  in 
a  pig?*  pen.  Aftet  meeting  I  asked  some  of 
the  people,  how  they  could  put  up  with  such 
preaching  ;  they  said  it  was  as  good  as  they 
generally  were  fed  with.  These  two  meu 
almost  discouraged  me  from  ever  thinking  to 
speak  in  public,  if  my  performances  should 
ever  appear  to  others  as  theirs  appeared  to 
me. 

So  the  meeting  ended,  and  we  returned 
home  ;  and  though  I  was  in  the  habit  of  be- 
ing sober,  yet  these  two  discourses  had  suck 
an  effect  on  me,  that  it  was  with  difficulty  that 
I  could  talk  seriously  about  such  kind  of  time 
preaching  as  I  heard  in  the  afternoon. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

In  the  time  of  my  stay  at  Mr.  Atherton's, 
in  Bolton,  I  made  enquiry  for  a  school,  but 
found  none.  While  there  it  was  said,  that  at 
a  place  called  Hartford  Jive  miles,  about  tea 
miles  east  of  the  city,  the  people  were  in  want 
of  a  school. master,  where  they  were  chiefly 
baptists.  Hearing  of  this  place,  I  'went  to 
see  the  minister,  Elder  Christopher  Minor, 
whom  I  had  seen  when  young,  I  told  him 
who  I  was,  and  my  business.  He  was  glad 
%q  sea  me,  as  he  had,  in  Lyme,  beeu  well 


tl3  life  or 

quainted  with  my  father  and  mother.  He 
and  two  more  were  appointed  a  school  com- 
mittee ;  they  met  and  examined  me  as  to  my 
knowledge  of  reading,  arithmetic,  and  writing, 
with  which  they  were  satisfied,  and  toid  me 
they  had  always  given  five  dollars  per  month, 
and  boarded  the  man  themselves,  and  that  if 
I  would  undertake  for  that,  they  would  en- 
gage me  for  three  months,  beginning  the  first 
Monday  in  December.  This  proposal  I  rea- 
dily complied  with,  thinking  myself  well  off 
to  be  boarded,  and  paid  in  the  winter,  five 
dollars  per  month.  This  was  about  the  first 
©f  November.  I  concluded  to  improve  this 
month  in  visiting  my  friends  in  Lyme,  where 
I  had  been  brought  up  ;  and  on  Saturday 
&orning  set  out  for  Lyme. 

I  travelled  on  foot  till  towards  night,  which 
brought  me  to  a  town  called  Marlborough, 
not  far  from  Colchester.  Travelling  along,  I 
came  up  with  a  middle  aged  man,  driving  his 
team.  He  appeared  serious,  arid  coming  near, 
I  asked  him  how  far  it  was  to  the  meeting- 
house. He  told  me.  Next  I  asked  him  who 
preached  in  it.  He  readily  told  me,  and  then 
said  it  was  not  common  for  those  of  my  age 
to  enquire  about  such  things,  as  the  minds  of 
young  people  were  generally  most  fixed  on 
things  of  a  trifling  nature.  I  told  him  that 
was  too  common,  and  that  my  mind  was  once 
in  the  state  of  other  young  people,  but  that  I 
did  not  esteem  them  now,  having  found  a 
more  substantial  good.  As  I  uttered  these 
words,  he  stared  at  me,  and  said,  "Do  you 


ELI  AS    SMITH.  113 

not  esteem  the  pleasures  of  this  world  ?"  I 
was  a  little  started  at  first,  but  soon  replied. 
I  have  found  something  better  than  this 
world  affurds.  He  then^asked  me  from  whence 
I  came,  where  bound,  ray  name,  where  I  ex- 
pected to  stay  that  night,  &c.  I  answered  all 
the  parts  of  his  questions,  excepting  where  to 
tarry  that  night.  He  then  invited  me  to  his 
house  to  stay  till  morning.  I  accepted  his 
invitation  and  went  home  with  him.  His  wife 
and  children  were  very  serious,  and  treated 
me  well.  We  had,  in  the  evening,  religious 
conversation  ;  he  asked  me  to  sing  some 
hymns,  and  pray,  which  I  did.  My  improve- 
ment among  them,  much  affected  the  young 
people,  who  I  suppose,  never  heard  any  one 
pr  ty,  who  was  so  young.  In  the  morning, 
the  man  asked  me  to  go  to  the  meeting  which 
he  attended,  telling  me  a  young  man  was~to 
preach  that  day.  His  name  was  Kellog,  and 
I  understand  he  is  now  settled  in  Hebron,  a 
town  near  Marlborough. 

The  text  he  spake,  or  read  from,  was  this  : 
Matth.  xvi.  26,  "  For  what  is  a  man  profited, 
if  he  shall  gain  the  whole  world,  and  lose  his 
own  soul  ?  Or  what  shall  a  man  give  in  ex- 
change for  his  soul  ?"  He  said  he  should 
attend  to  three  things  contained  in  the  text. 
1.  Describe  the  nature  and  importance  of  the 
soul.  2.  Shew  that  men  were  in  danger 
losing  their  souls.  3.  Shew  the  inequality 
there  was  between  the  gain  of  the  world,  and 
the  loss  of  the  soul.  These  three  particulars 
I  oommitted  to  memory,  as  ha  delivered  I 
K3   ' 


114  LIFE   OP 

discourse,  and  after  the  meeting  was  done, 
went  on  ray  way  about  half  a  mile,  sat  down 
under  the  fence,  took  my  pen  and  wrote  down 
the  propositions,  and  in  this  way  fixed  them 
in  my  memory,  so  that  they  are  now  as  fresh 
in  my  memory,  as  though  I  had  just  heard 
them. 

In  the  afternoon  I  travelled  to  another  meet- 
ing-house,  just  as  a  very  cold,  formal  clergy- 
man  was  making  the  concluding  prayer,  as  it 
is  called.  The  following  I  remember  he  said  : 
"  Lord  we  are  all  of  us  inimical  to  thy  na- 
ture, thy  government,  and  thy  Son.  We  are 
inimical  to  thy  spirit  and  thy  dealings  with 
us,  as  thy  creatures,"  &c.  I  concluded  that, 
according  to  his  prayer,  he  and  his  parish  must 
be  a  very  bad  sort  of  people.  After  meeting 
I  found  a  man,  the  son  of  Mr.  Minor,  who 
lived  at  Hartford,  and  preached  to  the  baptist 
church  in  that  town.  He  invited  me  to  stay 
at  his  house  till  morning. 

Monday  morning  I  sat  out  again  for  Lyme, 
In  Millinton,  I  stopped  at  a  cider  press,  to 
drink,  as  they  were  then  at  work.  While 
standing  there,  two  men  stood  near  me,  con- 
versing upon  religion.  One  of  them  by  the 
name  of  Hickinson,  who  afterwards  became  a 
preacher,  said  thus  to  the  other  man  :  "  When 
we  were  living  in  sin,  gaming,  drinking,  danc- 
ing, and  taking  the  name  of  the  Lord  in  vain, 
all  was  well ;  there  was  no  complaint  brought 
against  us  ;  but  since  we  left  these  things  and 
meet  to  sing  and  pray,  and  exhort  others  to 
turn  to  the  Lord,  the  cry  is,  delusion,  delu- 


ELIA9    SMITH.  115 

9ion,  the  parish  is  likely  to  be  broken  up  ;  and 
our  minister  is  greatly  alarmed."  This  con- 
versation drew  my  attention,  as  I  thought 
these  men  had  religion,  or  they  would  not  talk 
90.  I  soon  left  them,  and  went  on  my  way. 
After  walking  about  two  miles,  I  enquired  for 
a  meeting,  and  was  told  that  Elder  Daniel 
Minor  was  to  preach  that  evening  in  an  house 
near  where  I  then  was. 

This  was  the  man  that  sprinkled  me,  so 
much  against  my  will.  He  was  a  good  man, 
and  one  the  Lord  owned  and  blessed  in  the 
conversion  of  sinners.  This  intelligence  of 
the  meeting  rejoiced  my  heart  as  I  greatly 
loved  the  man  after  my  conversion.  1  went 
to  the  house  and  found  him  there.  He  soon 
asked  me  where  I  was  from  and  my  name. 
When  he  knew  me  as  the  son  of  Stephen 
Smith  and  Irene  his  wife,  it  gladdened  hi* 
heart,  especially  when  I  told  him  that  Christ 
was  more  to  me  than  all  other  objects.  This 
opened  the  way  for  me  to  have  a  lodging  place 
that  night,  and  food  to  eat,  which  I  then 
needed.  It  appeared  to  me  then,  that  my  sit- 
uation was  some  like  that  of  Jacob,  when  he 
went  from  his  father's  house  to  Padan-aram. 
Every  day  something  took  place,  that  shew- 
ed me  the  Lord  directed  my  steps.  In  the 
evening,  a  great  assembly  met  in  the  house  ; 
among  whom  were  many  lately  converted  to 
God,  who  were  very  hapjty  in  the  Lord. 

Mr.  Minor  preached  that  evening  from 
these  words,  Luke,  xviii.  38,  «  And  he  cried 

ting,  Jestvsy  thou  eon  of  David,  have  mer- 


116  LIFE    OF 

cy  on  me."  His  manner  of  preaching  was 
new,  and  peculiarly  pleasing  to  me.  He  no- 
ticed the  sitaa'ion  of  the  blind  man,  and  ap- 
plied it  to  the  state  of  those  who  lived  in  dark- 
ness, and  without  God  in  the  world  ;  the 
kindness  of  Jesus  in  passing  through  where 
the  blind  man  lived  ;  and  his  kindness  in 
sending  his  spirit  and  gospel  amoirg  those 
whom  the  god  of  this  world  has  blinded.  He 
observed,  that  when  Jesus  passed  through  a 
place,  there  was  always  a  multitude  to  attend, 
though  many  opposed  him ;  so,  said  he,  it  is 
now ;  many  run  together,  though  not  always 
to  be  benefitted.  He  noticed  that  Jesus'  pass- 
ing through,  caused  the  blind  man  to  cry  af- 
ter him,  as  soon  as  he  knew  Jesus  was  near  ; 
so,  said  he,  it  is  now  ;  as  soon  as  poor  sin- 
ners hear  there  is  one  that  can  save  them, 
they  at  once  begin  to  cry  to  him  to  help,  as  no 
other  one  can  do  it.  He  stated  that  then,  as 
soon  as  the  blind  man  began  to  cry  out,  some 
rebuked  him  that  he  should  hold  his  peace ; 
we  are  told,  said  he,  who  those  were  ;  they 
were  such  as  went  before  ;  such  as  are  plan- 
ning how  Christ  shall  come  ;  so  it  is  now. 
When  the  Lord  pours  out  his  spirit,  there  is 
always  a  company  who  go  before,  who  op- 
pose the  work  of  the  Lord.  Had  these  men 
who  rebuked  the  blind  man.  been  asked  if 
they  were  unwilling  the  blind  man  should  see, 
they  would  doubtless  have  said,  no,  but  we 
wish  him  not  to  be  s>  singular  and  noisy  in 
the  city.  Why  cannot  he  be  more  moderate  ? 
This,  said  the  preacher,  is  the  case  bow  ; 


ELIAS    SMITH.  117 

these  cold  formal  professors  are  willing,  they 
say,  that  men  should  be  converted,  but  they 
might  make  less  noise,  and  let  the  minister  do 
the  talking.  Such  have  planned  out  the  way, 
and  if  every  thing  does  not  go  on  as  they  have 
planned,  they  are  determined  to  oppose  it. 
He  observed  that  the  more  they  rebuked  the 
blind  man,  the  more  he  cried  after  Jesus  ;  so, 
eaid  he,  my  brethren,  it  is  now. 

In  this  way  he  went  through  the  discourse^ 
and  I  thought  that  those  men  who  cried  delu- 
sion !  and  ruin  upon  the  parish,  had  their  duo 
that  evening,  with  others  who  attended.  I 
was  never  better  pleased  with  a  discourse  than 
with  this.  After  he  had  done,  there  were  sev- 
eral warm  exhortations  delivered  by  male  and 
female ;  some  praying  and  spiritual  singing. 
This  was  the  happiest  meeting,  I  thought* 
ever  enjoyed  by  me  on  earth.  It  was  indeed 
an  heatenly  place  in  Christ  Jesus.  The  next 
day  I  went  on  my  way  to  Lyme ;  there  I 
heard  old  Elder  Jason  Lee  preach  in  the 
spirit,  and  with  power.  My  stay  at  Lyma 
was  short ;  as  my  school  was  to  commence  thfr 
first  of  December.  On  my  way  back  to  Hart- 
ford, I  visited  Miilinton  again,  and  attended 
some  meetings  withthose  who  had  fonnd  peac* 
iix  believing. 

There  is  one  little  circumstance  which  I 
will  here  mention.  In  Miilinton  on  my  re- 
turn, I  went  tp  rhe  same  place  where  the  men 
were  making  cider,  and,  there  spent  consider- 
able part  of  a  day  in  getting  apple  seeds  from 
the  pomace,  to  carry  to  Vermont  to  raise  an 


118  LIFE    OF 

orchard.  I  got  out  about  a  quart  of  seeds, 
dried  them,  carried  them  to  Hartford,  and 
when  I  returned  home  carried  them  in  my 
pack,  sowed  them  in  the  spring,  and  all  the 
apple  trees  now  on  tfiat  farm,  grew  from  the 
seeds  I  carried  in  my  pack  from  Millinton  to 
Woodstock. 

At  Millinton,  I  heard  that  there  was  a 
council  of  baptist  ministers  to  be  holden  at 
at  Glostenhury  ;  this  I  wished  to  attend,  hop- 
ing to  gain  some  useful  knowledge.  The 
council  was  held  at  the  house  of  Deacon 
Hodge ;  I  travelled  almost  the  whole  day  to 
get  there,  without  eating  any  food  after  break- 
fast ;  and  it  was  late  before  I  could  get  any 
food.  After  supper,  I  proposed  going  a  little 
distance  with  a  brother  who  had  invited  me  to 
his  house.  While  waiting  for  him,  I  felt  some 
unwell  and  before  he  was  ready,  was  obliged 
to  take  off  my  pack  and  set  down  ;  this  was 
caused  by  overdoing,  and  going  without 
food.  I  was  seized  with  a  violent  pain  in 
my  side,  and  could  find  no  relief  until  the 
doctor  came  and  took  away  some  blood.  The 
nexf  day  I  was  confined  to  the  bed  ;  the  sec- 
ond day  to  the  room  ;  the  third  day  I  went 
round  the  house  :  and  the  fourth,  walked 
about  the  door  yard  some  ;  and  in  one  week 
was  able  to  pursue  ray  journey. 

This  was  a  serious  time  to  me  ;  about  one 
hundred  and  eighty  miles  from  home  ;  among 
all  strangers,  who  had  never  heard  of  me  be- 
fore ;  and  not  more  than  twenty -five  cents  of 
money  at  my  command.     Notwithstanding  all 


ELIAS    SMITH.  119 

t>rvCn  secmii]  \  di  >s,  I  was  kindly  used, 
ne  for  me. 


As  soon  as  my  hesLHb  was  restored.  T  went 
to  KiiJb  tobegin  my  school 

at  the  time  agreed  on,  and  found  n^elf,  at 
the  time  appointed,  surrounded  v.  fiifa  an  agree- 
able number  of  children,  from  six  to  sixteen 
years  old,  W'Uq  bad  come  to  be  instructed  ia 
reading,  writing,  &c. 

The  first  week  passed  awray  without  any 
tiling  to  interrupt,  till  Saturday  about  twelve 
o'clock,  when  a  circumstance  occurred,  which 
came  near  causing  a  breach  between  me  and 
one  of  the  principal  men  in  the  district.  This 
man  was  an  episcopalian,  and  sent  two  chil- 
dren, a  son  and  daughter.  On  Saturday, 
about  noon,  it  was  and  now  is  generally  the 
custom  to  teach  the  children  what  is  called  the 
catechism,  composed  by  so  many  divines,  at 
Westminster.  These  children  on  that  day, 
brought  the  church  prayer-book,  which  con- 
tained the  episcopalian  catechism.  When  I 
called  on  them  to  repeat  the  other  catechism, 
one  of  them  said,  they  did  not  say  that,  but 
had  one  of  their  own,  and  handed  me  the 
prayer-book  open,  where  their  catechism  be- 
gan. 

This  was  a  new  thing  to  me,  as  at  that  time 
I  did  aot  know  there  was  another  on  earth, 
lu  reading  it  over^  I  came  to  the  following 


ISO  LIFE    OF 

questions  and  answers:  Question.  "What 
is  your  name?"  Answer.  "N/v  Q.  "Who 
gave  you  that  name  ?"  A.  "  My  godfather 
and  godmother,  in  my  baptism,  in  which  1  was 
made  a  member  of  Christ,  a  child  of  God,  and 
ah  heir  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven."  After 
looking  at  all  this,  1  told  the  children  I  could 
not  teach  that  to  them,  for  it  was  false,  and 
I  could  not  knowingly  te  <ch  falsehoods.  I 
went  through  with  the  presbyterian  catechism, 
but  the  poor  little  episcopalian  children  were 
obliged  to  set  and  hear,  without  any  part  in 
that  which  was  as  bad  as  their  own  catechism 
in  many  things. 

As  soon  as  the  children  returned  home,  they 
told  their  father  what  the  new  master  had  said 
and  done.  He  was  highly  offended,  and 
threatened  t©  take  them  from  the  school.  This 
grieved  the  children  as  they  were  remarkably 
well  pleased  with  their  new  instructor.  On 
Monday  morning,  the  two  children  returned 
with  a  note  to  this  amount  :  "  Sir,  you  are 
requested  to  meet  me  this  evening  at  my  house, 
and  tarry  till  morning.  Yours,  &c."  This 
request  I  complied  with,  and  went  from  the 
school-house,  and  found  the  man  had  called  in 
his  neighbors  to  him,  to  converse  upon  his  cate- 
chism and  confound  me.  After  supper  was 
over,  and  the  people  seated  around  a  good1 
country  fire,  Mr.  B.  thus  addressed  ne  :  "  Sir, 
I  think  it  strange  that  you  sboulu  refuse  to 
teach  my  children  tiieir  catechism ;  you  are 
the  only  one  who  ever  refused  to  do  it  in  that 
«ckool-house.    Why  have  you  treated  me  ir 


ELIAS    SMITH.  i*l 

this  manner  r"  My  reply  was  tins  t  <•  Sir, 
it  was  not  for  want  of  good  will  to  you.  or 
your  children,  that  1  refused  to  teach  then 
yoiir  catechism  ;  but  because  I  considered  tho 
there  to  be   absolutely  arrtd 

contrary  to  the  scriptures  of  truth,  arid  I  dare 
not  teach  contrary  to  that  book. 

He  observed,  that  great  and  good  men  made 

that  catechism,   and   good  men  had  for  ages 

believed  it,  and  that  it  must  be  true,  for  such 

men  would  hot  publish  falsehoods ;  and,  said 

.    do  you   suppo .-;e  you  know    better  than 

such    m  >H  |M   the    bishops  of  London    have 

been  ?   Her<j  he  grew  warm  upon  the  subject. 

I  told  llirfl  it  was  not  my  business  to  dispute 

^g)idness,  nor  set"  myself  np  as  wise; 

but  one  thirfg  was  certain,  from  the  scripture, 

.  :  that  ttiosg  who  were  sons  of  God,  were 

born,  not  of  biooa,  nor  of  toe  will  ofthetlesb, 

nor  the  will  of  man,  but  of  God  ;  and  that 

1  were  born  of  the  spirit  to  be  members  of 

the  kingdom  of   heaven  ;    and    Christ  said, 

"  Except  a  man  be  born  of  water  and    the 

spirit,    he  cannot  enter  into  the   kingdom  of 

heaven. "  And  that  men  were  saved,  not  by 

works  of  righteousness  which  thev  have  done, 

but  by  the  washing  of  regeneration  and  re-' 

newing  of  the  Holy  Ghost.     I  then  told    hi 

that  my  hftteg  spri»kled  did  me  no  good,  and 

that  I  belle /ed  I  had  known,  and  then  did 

know,  what  Befog  born  of  the  spirit  meant  ; 

and  that  we  were  children  oi  God  by  faith  ia 

Christ  Jefcus,  and  not  by  baptism. 

t 


122  LIFE    OF 

When  I  spake  of  knowing  what  regenera- 
tion meant,  he  yielded,  as  it  was  beyond  what 
he  had  experienced.  "  Well,"  said  he,  "  I  in  - 
gist  on  it  that  you  teach  my  children  the  cat- 
echisni."  "I  will  do  it  sir,  upon  this  condi- 
tion, and  no  other  ;  I  will  teach  it  to  them, 
and  when  I  have  done,  will  tell  them  it  is 
false,  and  charge  them  not  to  believe  one 
word  of  that  part  which  says  baptism  makes 
them  children  of  God,  members  of  Christ,  and 
heirs  of  the  kingdom."  "I  will  agree  to  that," 
said  he,  and  so  the  conversation  ended  as  to 
tfie  catechism.  The  next  Saturday,  the  two 
children  brought  their  book,  and  I  remember- 
ed my  promise  to  them  and  their  father,  and 
tit  the  usual  time  began  :  Question,  to  the  girl, 
<;  What  is  vour  name  ?"  She  answered,  Nan- 
"  Who  gave  you  that  name  ?"  Answer, 
My  godfather  and  godmother,  in  my  bap- 

ni,'-  &c.  Then  the  same  to  the  buy,  who 
was  younger.  After  going  through,  I  thus 
addressed  them  :  "  Children,  these  things 
are  false,  and  you  must  not  believe  them. 
There  are  no  such  beings  in  existence  &s  god- 
fathers and  god/mothers  ;  these  are  inventions 
of  men,  and  baptism  does  not  make  us  chil- 
dren of  Gad  ;  you  must  believe  in  Christ,  or 
you  will  be  undone  forever."  The  children 
wept,  and  took  their  seats.  As  soon  as  they 
returned  home,  the  father  s«id,  '*  Well,  chil- 
dren, did  your  master  learn  you  the  cate- 
chism ?"  "  Yes  sir,"  said  Nancy.  "  And 
what  did  he  say  ?"  "  He  said  it  was  false, 
and  we  must  not  believe  it."  "  Ah,"  said  he, 


ELIAS    SMITH.  123 

•I  your  master  is  determined  to  have  Iiia  own 
way.''  This  ended  the  matter  ;  he  sent  his 
children  constantly,  often  invited  me  to  his 
house,  but  never  after  that,  sent  his  prayer- 
book  to  the  school,  for  me  to  learn  his  chil- 
dren falsehoods. 

The  first  time  I  heard  the  baptist  minister 
preach,  after  my  school  began,  his  text  was. 
Ezek.  x.  13,  •<  O  Wheel  I"  His  subject 
was  this  ;  4i  The  wonderful  superintendant 
providence  of  GodP  He  told  of  some  remark- 
able instances  of  the  preservation  of  men  in 
thunder  storms,  hurricanes,  &c.  I  was  so 
little  benefitted  by  the  discourse,  that  there  is 
scarcely  any  thing  left  now,  besides  the  wheel. 
All  the  other  parts  of  the  carriage,  and  bur- 
den, are  gone  from  me.  The  man  did  not 
appear  to  understand  the  subject  contained  in 
the  text. 

There  was  in  that  place,  a  happy  number 
of  people  who  were  devoted  to  God,  and  who 
endeavored  to  walk  in  newness  of  life.  With 
these  good  people  I  spent  much  of  my  time 
when  out  of  school. 

It  was  my  intention,    after    engaging  my 
school,  to  speak  some  among  them  that  Win- 
ter ;  but  my  gift  was  to  me  so  small,  and  i 
knowledge  of  t?ie*scv?ptnres  so  little. 

is  more  than  [  cowld  un  .     Once,  I 

spake  in  their  meeting,  ujj 
Abraham  in  offering  up  Isaac.     My  knowi- 
;e  was  so  small,  tind  being  gjpatly  agitated 
by  hearing  my  own  voice,  that;  I  said  but  ]/ 
and  jgrft  down.     In  the  time  of  my  residence 


15-i  LIVE   O* 

ihera,  I  beard  Jacob  Wiuchel  preach  :  a 
young  man  who  began  to  preach  when  about 
nineteen  or  twenty  years  old.  He  then  lived 
in  Harford  city.  At  that  lime  it  was  con- 
sidered an  extraordinary  thing  for  a  person 
to  he  a  preacher  at  that  age.  Many  people 
came  that  day  to  hear  liiui.  liis  text  WM 
this,  Mark  vi.  9,  "  It  is  i,  be  not  cfraid/' 
In  his  introduction,  he  noticed  the  miracle 
wrought  in  feeding  the  multitude  with  a  few 
loaves,  and  observed  that  he  had  often  thought 
himself  like  the  lad  with  a  few  loaves,  and 
frequently  found  God  fed  many  in  that  way. 
He  mentioned  the  situation  of  the  deeciples  in 
the  fillip  without  Jesus  ;  and  stated  the  un- 
comfortable and  unsafe  slate  of  all  who  sat 
out  in  any  business  without  Christ.  He  rais- 
ed this  doctrine  from  the  text :  ¥  Tfiat  Christ 
was  the  only)  and  (dl-svjjlehnt  help  of  alhrlio 
'heir  trust  in  him/*  In  iiliistrathsg  this 
statement,  he  described  the  glory  and  fah 
of  Christ,  as  I  had  never  heard  before  ; 
then  shewed  how  he  had  comforted  and  de- 
livered such  as  trusted  in  him.  He  mention. 
ed  such  as  were  safe  among  lions,  in  the  fur- 
nace, in  prisons,  and  other  situations  the  most 
distressing. 

Before  he  had  done,  I  bought  that  Christ 
was  more  valuable  than  every  thing  < 
christians  were  a  safe  and  happy  people,  and 
a  preacher  of  the  everlasting  gospel  the  Hap. 
piest  man  on  earth.  His  preaching  seemed 
for  a  while  to  discourage  me  from  ever  speak- 
ing in  public,  on  account  of  my  iguorai... 


LXIAS    SMITH.  125 

these  things  which  he  appeared  so  familiarly 
acquainted  with. 

Through  the  whole  of  this  winter,  the  quo- 
tation bible,  which  I  carried  in  my  pocket, 
was  my  principal  study,  being  convinced  that 
the  scriptures  were  able  to  make  me  wise  un- 
to salvation,  through  faith  in  Christ  Jesus. 
At  one  time,  when  in  the  house  of  my  epis- 
copalian friend,  B.  he  shewed  me  a  book,  just 
pulllshea  in  Hartford,  entitled,  "  Gsterwalds' 
christian  theology/'  or  a  compendious  body  of 
divinity  ;  and  advised  me  to  purchase  it  of 
him,  as  it  was  a  religious  book.  After  exam- 
ining its  contents,  I  concluded  to  take  it  at 
one  dollar  fifty  cents,  which  was  so  much  out 
of  my  wa<res.  This  book  I  read  for  several 
years,  until  I  committed  every  chapter  to  mem- 
ory. This  was  the  beginning  of  my  studying 
divinity.  When  my  school  ended,  I  had  tak- 
en out  of  my  fifteen  dollars,  the  body  of  di- 
vinity, one  pair  of  shoes,  and  one  pair  of 
stockings,  which  amounted  to  about  four  dol- 
lars and  fifty  cents.  There  was  then  about 
ten  dollars  and  fifty  cents  left,  which  I  was 
determined  to  lay  out  to  the  best  advantage. 
As  I  had  never  owned  a  greatcoat  or  surtout, 
I  determined  to  gwu  one,  if  it  wfcs  ever  so 
coarse. 

Having  received  my  wages*  I  walked  to 
Hartford  city,  which  was  ten  miles,  and  found 
a  peace  of  blue  cloth,  which  would  answer 
for  me.  Enough  for  a  surtout  would  amount 
to  almost  nine  dollars,  not  leaving  me  quite 
two  dollars  to  spend  from  East- Hartford  to 

L3 


42t)  LIFE    OP 

Woodstock,  one  hundred  and  seventy  mil. 
Having  obtained  my  cloth,  1  walked  back  Ihe 
same  day,  and  made  preparation  to  relum 
home.  The  good  people  where  I  lived  cook- 
ed some  victuals  for  me  to  eat  on  my  way  home. 
I  filled  up  my  pack  with  my  few  clothes,  shoes, 
stockings  and  food,  and  tied  my  cloth  en  the 
top  of  my  pack,  which  by  this  time  was  quite 
heavy  ;  fixed  it  on  soldier  fashion,  bid  the 
people  farewell,  and  set  out  with  good  cour- 
age in  March,  for  Vermont. 

When  I  set  out  from  Connecticut,  there  was 
no  snow,  but  after  travelling  about  fifty  miles, 
there  was  good  sledding.  When  within  two 
days  ride  of  Windsor,  Vt.  I  put  up  at  a  tav- 
ern where  a  man  from  Vermont  stayed,  who 
was  going,  with  his  wife  and  child,  in  a  sleigh 
to  Windsor.  I  asked  him  if  he  would  give 
me  a  ride  to  Windsor,  or  part  of  the  way. 
He  said  his  load  was  heavy,  but  he  could  car- 
ry my  pack,  and  I  might  take  hold  of  the  hind 
part  of  the  sleigh  and  ride  down  hill,  if  I 
could  keep  up  so.  This  he  thought  wa6  im- 
possible for  me  to  do.  I  told  him  I  was  used 
to  walking  and  running,  and  could  keep  up. 
*\ire  sat  out  early  in  the  morning,  and  he  hav- 
ing two  good  horses,  sometimes  drove  faster 
than  1  wrished  him  to  go.  When  going  down 
the  hills,  he  would  say,  "you  will  kill  your- 
self, in  running  so  long  and  fiist."  At  night 
I  was  some  tired,  but  not  the  least  discouraged. 
The  next  day  it  rained,  and  going  over  the 
pine  plains  in  Wnlpole  and  Charlestown,  the 
water  was  considerable  deep  in  the  road,  but 


BLIAS    SMITH.  127 

I  waded  through  it  as  feat  as  the  horses  went 
"W  e*  arrived  at  Windsor  ahout  four  o'clock  ; 
there  he  stopped  and  gave  up  my  pack.  I 
was  then  about  thirteen  or  fourteen  miles  from 
my  father's  house,  and  was  determined  to  get 
there  before  I  slept. 

After  walking  about  three  miles,  I  came  ta 
an  house  where  a  baptist  deacon  lived,  by  the 
name  of  Thompson.  Here  I  ate  some  warm 
victuals,  which  was  the  first  after  leaving  Hart- 
ford. When  I  took  oil'  my  shoes,  my  stock- 
ings were  quite  bloody,  my  feet  having  been 
so  wet  all  day  and  stepping  so  hard  in  keep- 
ing up  with  the  sleigh.  After  eating  some 
food,  and  resting  a  little,  I  set  out  about  sun- 
down for  Woodstock.  My  limbs  were  so  sore, 
that  sometimes  it  appeared  impossible  for  me 
to  reach  home  that  nis;ht.  I  walked  verv  slow 
all  the  way,  and  some  time  between  midnight 
and  day,  I  arrived  at  my  father's  house,  al- 
most overcome  with  the  two  last  days  travel- 
ling. When  I  opened  the  door,  ray  mother  sat 
by  the  fire,  having  two  beds  in  the  room  ;  on 
one  lay  my  oldest  brother,  on  the  other  my 
youngest  sister,  sick  with  the  measles.  Slie 
was  quite  overcome  on  seeing  me,  as  she  had 
not  heard  from  me  after  we  parted  in  Wal- 
pole  the  October  before,  She  soon  got  me 
some  refreshment,  and  I  retired  to  take  some 
rest  which  was  needful  at  that  time.  It  has 
often  seemed  strange  to  me,  that  my  strength 

ould  endure  to  journey  in  this  wray,  but  the 
Lord  preserved  xne,  and  to  him  be  the  praise, 


183  LIFE    OF 

After  I  had  retired  to  sleep,  iny  mother 
took  my  stockings  and  put  them  into  walerto 
wring  them  out  ;  and  she  told  me  the  next 
day  that  the  witter  was  red  with  the  blood 
she  wrong  out  of  them.  Aly  feet  were  very 
sore  for  several  days  after,  and  to  add  to  all 
the  rest,  I  took  the  measles,  and  was  not  able 
to  do  much  for  about  one  month  after  my  re- 
turn. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

As  soon  as  I  was  well  of  tlie  measles,  I  en- 
gaged in  work  on  the  faqjffor  a  short  time, 
and  about  the  first  of  May,  1/89,  began  a 
school  for  six  months,  at  the  same  house  where 
I  first  undertook  the  business. 

At  tljiis  time,  my  mind  was  greatly  exercis- 
ed on  baptism,  which  had  been  so  plain  a  du- 
ty for  about  four  years.  I  was  convinced  that 
believers  were  the  only  people  on  whom  bap- 
tism was  enjoined  ;  and  that  burying  in  wa- 
ter only,  was  scriptural  baptism  ;  but  the  great- 
est and  only  objection  in  my  mind  was,  wheth- 
er I  was  such  a  believer  as  the  bible  directed 
to  be  baptised.  My  experience  was  to  me  so 
small,  that  1  thought  no  person  could  gain  an 
evidence  that  I  had  passed  from  death  to  life. 
After  a  long  struggle,  I  determined  upon  one 
thing,  which  was  to  tell  the  church  what  1  had 
experienced,  and  why  it  was  my  desire  to  be 
baptised  ;  and  then  should  feel  clear,  whether 
they  received  me  or  not.     With  this  detenu- 


ELIAS    SMITH.  129 

motion,  on  the  day  the  monthly  church  meet- 
ing of  the  baptist  church  was  held,  in  the  north 
part  of  the  town.  I  set  oat  for  the  meeting  on 
foot,  about  lour  miles  from  where  I  lived. 

[he  place  of  meeiing  I  found  a  consider- 
able number  of  the  members  together,  and  El- 
der William  Grow  with  them,  the  man  I  heard 
preach  in  the  orchard  m  Connecticut  several 
years  before.  They  all  were  united  in  love 
and  happy  in  their  union.  After  they  had 
gone  through  with  their  business,  with  much 
trembling  I  rose  and  stated  to  them  the  occa- 
sion of  my  meeting  with  them  at  that  time. 
After  giving  them  the  reason  of  my  hope  in 
Christ,  each  one  was  asked  if  they  could  re- 
ceive me  as  one  bora  of  Go  1.  Every  one  pre- 
sent declarer!  tiiat  they  had  fellowship  with 
me  as  one  barn  of  God.  The  way  was  then, 
open  for  me  to  be  baptised.  This  was  the 
•  st  crossing  to  my  natural  feelings  of  any 

jg  I  had  ever  been  called  to  fcttead  unto  in 

lifei 
Had  1  obeyed  four  y  ! Poire,  there  wo*i!4 

have  been  a  pleasure  with  the  duty,  bra  hav- 
ing so  long  neglected  the  command,  the  duty 
was  about  ail  left  io  lead  me  id  obedience. 
Being  deterraii  ait  to  Christ  in  that 

command,  we  made  ready  ami  went  to  the 

chy  river,  near 
hill,  who  now  lives 
in  I  the  me<  as  held. 

The  brethren  and  others  gathered  round  ;  El- 
der  Glow  spake   solemnly,  and  intelligibly 

m  the  g\  o.iid  then  led  me  into  the 


130  LIFE    OF 

river,  and  baptised  me  in  the  name  of  the 
Fatheb,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost  ;  after  which 
we  both  came  up  out  of  the  water,  after  the 
example  of  our  blessed  Lord.  When  on  the 
bank  of  the  river,  we  suns  an  hvran  which  I 
had  cnosen  for  that  occasion,  and  which  then 
appeared  good  and  important  to  me.  The  fol- 
lowing are  the  two  first  verses  : 

u  Blest  be  7ny  God  that  I  mas  born, 

Tj  liear  the  joyful  sound  / 
That  I-ivas  born  to  be  baptised, 

Where  gospel  truths  abound, 
J  might  have  been  a  pagan  born^ 

Or  else  a  veiled  Jeiv  ; 
Or  cheated  with  an  Jilcoran, 
Among  the  Turkish  crew,  "  &c. 

This  second  verse  was  peculiar  to  me,  as  I 
viewed  it  an  amazing  display  of  Rod's  good- 
ness in  shewing  me  the  riches  of  his  grace  in 
Christ  Jesus,  by  whom  so  great  a  sinner  could 
be  saved.  After  being  baptised,  my  mind 
was  calm,  as  I  had  done  as  it  was  command- 
ed.  Though  I  had  been  received  as  one  born 
again,  and  baptised  ;  yet  I  was  not  consider- 
ed a  member  of  the  church  ;  for  the  baptists 
at  that  time  had  four  doors  by  which  a  man 
must  enter,  ta  be  in  the  church,  t.  He  must 
give  the  reason  of  his  hope  in  Christ.  2.  He 
must  be  baptised.  3.  The  articles  of  faith, 
and  church-covenant  must  be  read,  to  which 
lie  must  give  his  assent.  All  this  did  not  make 
him  a  member.  4.  He  must  bo  voted  in;  then 
he  is  a  member  in  full  fellowship,  if  he  holds 
to  close  communion.     All  this  was  done,  ami 


ELIAS    SMITH.  131 

ia  this  way  I  was  declared,  and  recorded  a 
member  of  the  second  baptist  church  in  Wood- 
stock. The  articles  of  faith  to  which  I  then 
assented,  contained  what  the  baptists  call  par- 
ticular election ;  or  that  Christ  died  for  the 
elect,  and  that  such  a  number  should  be  sav- 
ed, &c.  These  articles  i  did  not  understand 
for  they  had  never  been  read  to  me  before  ; 
and  being  read  but  once,  it  was  not  possible 
for  me  to  remember  much  of  them.  1  assent- 
ed to  them,  because  the  minister  and  church 
thought  they  were  true.  Since  that  time,  the 
minister  and  the  members  have  rejected  that 
abominable  doctrine  of  partiality,  and  now 
stand  in  gospel  liberty. 

The  next  day  after  being  baptised  was  their 
communion,  I  joined  with  them  in  that  solemn 
ordinance,  which  was  peculiarly  so  to  me  at 
that  time,  on  several  accounts  :  1.  To  find 
myself  numbered  among  those  4.  considered 
heirs  of  God,  and  joint  heirs  with  Christ,  was 
to  me  a  great  and  solemn  thing.  2.  My  par- 
ents were  members  of  the  same  church,  and 
were  present,  and  communed  at  the  same  time; 
this  was  joy  to  them,  and  solemnity  to  me.  3. 
To  hear  the  sufferings  and  death  of  Christ 
described,(whieh  that  ordinauce  shewed  forth,) 
as  it  then  was  by  the  preacher,  took  great  hold 
of  my  mind.  4.  The  pleasing  thought,  that 
one  day  we  should  meet  each  other,  all  the 
redeemed,  and  the  Redeemer,  whose  death 
we  shewed  forth,  rendered  the  scene  solemn 
and  glorious  beyond  that  I  had  ever  experi- 
enced before.    As  but  few  were  baptised  at 


132  LIFE    OF 

that  time,  especially  among  the  youth  ;  the 
Rews  of  my  bei.ig  baptised  spread  abroad, 
ami  much  was  iaad  open  the  subject. 

It  was  not  long  after  being  baptised,  before 
my  mind  was  greatly  distressed,  fearing  I  had 
gone  too  fast ;  and  sometimes  thought  it  would 
have  been  better  not  to  have  beer  baptised  ; 
knowing  if  I  fell  away  again,  the  consequence, 
to   myself  and  others  would  be  worse  than 
ihough  I  had  never  owned  Christ;  and  sev- 
eral times   that  summer,  thought  if  I  had  not 
been  baptised,  I  should  still  neglect  it.    A  iter 
some  time,  my  mind  was  considerably  freed 
from  those  doubts  and  fears,  which  caused  me 
so  much  trouble.     There  was  another  thing 
which  greatly  troubled  me  that  summer;  that 
was  the  thought  of  preaching  the  gospel  to 
others.     There  was  no  righteous  thing  which 
my  mind  was  so  opposed  to,  as  this  :  and  it 
was  my  determination  never  to  submit  to  it, 
if  it  could  be  avoided  righteously  ;  and  though 
my  mind  was  often  exercised  about  speaking 
publicly  ;  yet  it  often  seemed  foolish  in  me 
U)  think  of  any  such  things,  as,   in  my  own 
mind,  I  was  destitute  of  every  qualification 
requisite  for  that  great  and  glorious  work.     I 
thought  myself  destitute  of  natural,  acquired, 
or  spiritual   qualifications  for  such  an  under- 
taking.    In  the  course  of  the  summer,  I  had 
an  opportunity  to  hear  several  baptist  minis- 
ters preach,  and  some  of  them  made  such  poor 
work  of  it;  that  I  thought  they  had  better  be 
culled  something  beside  preachers  ;  and  con- 
cluded- that  if  I  could  not  be  more  profitable  in 


ELIAS    SMITH.  133 

speaking,  than  such,  it  would  be  much  better 
to  remain  in  silence. 

There  was  one  man  who  was  quite  an  ob- 
jection to  my  speaking  in  public.  Let  him 
have  what  text  he  would,  his  sermon  was  al- 
ways about  the  same.  After  talking  awhile, 
he  would  tell  us  of  Daniel  in  the  lion's  den  ; 
Hhadrach,  Meshach,  and  Aheduego,  in  the 
fiery  furnace  ;  and  Paul  and  Silas  in  prison. 
These  three  things  generally  made  out  the 
chief  of  his  discourse.  One  time  he  was  in- 
vited to  preach  a  sermon  in  my  school-house, 
on  the  day  of  the  annual  thanksgiving  in  Ver- 
mont. He  came,  and  the  people  gathered, 
congregationalists,  preshyterians,  baptists,  &c. 
to  hear  the  thanksgiving  sermon.  His  text 
was  this  ;  Mark  xvi.  (6,  "  He  that  believeth 
and  is  baptised  shall  be  saved,  he  that  believ- 
eth not  shall  be  damned"  His  discourse  wras 
almost  wholly  upon  baptism,  and  was  very 
disgusting  to  many,  particularly  the  advocates 
for  infant  sprinkling.  This  proved  to  me, 
not  only  the  unskilfulness  of  some  preachers, 
but  taught  me  some  of  the  difficulties  preach- 
ers must  encounter.  I  said  to  some,  "If  I 
could  not  make  out  better  than  that,  I  would 
never  try  again-"  These  things  did  not  rid 
My  mind  of  the  thought  of  preaching,  though 
unfit  for  the  work. 

Two  things  I  was  determined  upon  ;  one 
was,  never  to  speak  in  public,  without  an  ev- 
idence of  being  called  of  God  to  the  work; 
the  other  was,  to  do  every  thing  in  my  power 
to  prepare  me  for  that  work,  if  ever  called  to 

M 


134  life  or 

it  by  the  spirit  of  God.  To  do  this,  I  made 
the  bible  my  chief  study  through  the  season  ; 
this  I  continually  carried  with  mo,  as  had 
for  some  time  been  my  practice.  It  being  a 
quotation  bible,  greatly  assisted  my  mind  in 
comparing  the  different  parts  ol  the  scriptures 
together  :  particularly  the  prophecies  in  the 
old-testament,  and  their  accomplishment  in  the 
new-testament.  This  was  my  constant  busi- 
ness when  out  of  school,  unless  when  employ- 
ed in  reading  "  Osterwald's  christian  theolo- 
gy,77 and  a  short  system  of  divinity  written  by 
Norton.  I  also  read  u  Edwards7  history  of 
redemption,77  some ;  "Bestoirs  fourfold  state,77 
and  "  FlaveFs  sermons.77  Others  might  make 
greater  progress,  but  no  one  could  be  more 
industrious,  nor  labor  more  to  treasure  up  use- 
ful knowledge.  At  the  time  of  teaching 
the  school,  after  entering  my  twenty-first  year, 
I  had  one  advantage  as  to  speaking  in  public. 
The  congregational  meeting  was  held  in  the 
school-house,  which  was  made  large  for  that 
purpose.  This  meeting  I  generally  attended. 
"When  they  had  no  preaching,  and  it  was  but 
a  small  part  of  the  time  they  had  any  minis- 
ter, they  read  FlaveVs  sermons.  At  this  time 
they  requested  me  to  read  for  them.  With  a 
great  deal  of  diffidence  I  consented,  and  was 
obliged  to  put  on  my  spectacles,  as  I  could 
not  read  without  them.  My  manner  of  read- 
ing was  so  acceptable,  that  they  repeatedly 
requested  me  to  read  for  them.  By  this  prac- 
tice, that  fear  in  standipg  before  an  assembly, 
gradually  were  off,  and  in  the  course  of  a  few 


ELIAS    SMITH.  135 

months,  I  spake  a  few  words  once  or  twice 
in  a  private  meeting,  and  sometimes  prayed 
in  conference  meeting;  but  being  naturally, 
what  is  calleJ  bashful,  I  underwent  much  on 
all  such  occasions  ;  and  frequently  wondered 
why  others  should  think  me  possessed  of  a 
public  gift. 

Six  months  of  this  year,  I  was  confined  to 
the  school-house,  and  to  close  study  when 
out  of  school.  There  was  no  person  on  earth 
that  knew  the  labors  of  my  mind  at  that  time. 
I  became  almost  a  recluse  ;  retiring  almost 
wholly  from  company,  unless  I  could  get  with 
such  men  as  were  able  and  willing  to  teach 
me. 

After  finishing  my  school,  I  returned  home, 
not  knowing  what  to  do  ;  though  rather  de- 
termined to  quit  the  business  of  teaching  chii- 
dren,  which  was  too  much  confinement  for  me, 
I  was  willing  and  able  to  work,  aud  thought 
if  that  constant  labor  in  my  mind,  as  to  speak- 
ing in  public  could  be  removed,  I  would,  with 
the  greatest  cheerfulness,  put  on  my  frock  and 
go  to  work  among  the  black  lo.«rs  again,  as  I 
had  done  before.     My  father  asked  me  what 
I  meant  to  do.     My  reply  was,   "I  cannot 
tell."     As  he  had  freed   me  at  the  age  of 
eighteen  or  nineteen,  he  was  entirely 
I  should  still   retain  my  liberty,  and  do  what 
I  thought  was  duty.     I  endeavored  to  m 
hut  my  mind  was  so  fixed  upon  reading,  \ 
I  could  .iot  work,     in   the  time  of  teaching 
school,  I  had  purchased  a  few  books,  and 
a  small  book-case  made,  which  I  could  ca 


136 


LIFE    OF 


in  my  hand  from  place  to  place,  where  I  hoard- 
ed. This  1  carried  to  my  fathers  house,  and 
believe  my  mother  now  has  it  in  her  posses- 
sion. I  went  from  the  field  to  the  house, 
opened  my  little  book-case,  took  out  my  fa- 
vorite book,  and  read  the  fifteenth  chapter  of 
Genesis.  The  first  verse  comforted  me  much. 
"  After  these  things,  the  word  of  the  Lord 
came  to  Abram  in  a  vision,  saying,  fear  not 
Abram,  I  am  thy  shield  and  thy  exceeding 
great  reward."  From  this,  I  took  some  new 
courage  to  pursue  my  search  after  truth  in  the 
scriptures  of  truth  ;  though  much  against  ever 
being  a  preacher,  At  this  time,  after  entering 
my  twenty-first  year,  I  undertook  to  commit 
the  new-testainentto  memory,  from  the  begin- 
ning of  the  epistle  to  the  Romans,  to  the  end. 
This,  I  in  a  great  measure  accomplished  in 
about  eighteen  months  from  that  time. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

From  the  time  of  leaving  my  summer  school 
till  I  began  it  again  in  the  winter,  my  mind 
was  continually  distressed  on  account  of 
preaching  the  gospel  to  others.  It  often  was 
surprising  that  such  a  subject  should  trouble 
me,  when  in  my  own  view,  I  was  destitute  of 
every  qualification  for  such  a  work.  Many 
of  the  church  spake  frequently  to  me  upon 
the  subject,  and  told  me  I  was  hiding  my 
talent  in  the  earth.  When  I  told  them  how 
unqualified  my  mind  was,  they  would  brin:; 


ELI  A3    SMITH.  137 

up  what  Moses  said  ;  "  That  he  was  slow  of 
speech,    slow    tongue,    and    not    eloquent." 
When  I  told  them  my  age  was   an  excuse, 
they    would    bring  the   words   of  Jeremiah, 
chap,  i.  0,  7,  3,  "  Then  said  I,    Ah,    Lord 
God  !   behold,   I  cannot  speak  ;    for  I  am  a 
child.     But  the  Lord  said  unto  me,  say  not 
I  am  a  child  ;  for  thou  shalt  go  to  all  that  I 
shall   send  thee,  and  whatsoever  I  command 
thee,  thou  shalt  speak."     When  I  told  them 
of  my  iguorance,  weakness,  foolishness,  and 
that  for  many  vears  I  had   thought  myself  a 
fool,  and  destitute  of  common  sense,  and  that 
I  never  could  talk  as  others  could,  they  would 
bring  me  the  words  of  Paul,  1  Cor.  i.  27?  88, 
"But  God  hath  chosen   the  foolish  things  of 
this  world,  to  confound  the  wise  ;  and  God 
hath  chosen  the  weak  things  of  the  world,  t© 
confound  the  things    that  are   mighty  :    and 
base  things  of  the  world,  and  things  that  are 
despised,  hath  God  chosen,   yea,  and  thhigs 
that  are  not,  to  bring  to  nought  the  things  that 
are  ;  that  no  flesh  should  glory  in  bis  pres- 
ence."    These  tilings  lost  their  force  in  my 
mind,  as  I  concluded  they  did  not   anywise 
apply  to  me.  Though  there  was  much  wek 
in  these  things,  yet  I  was  sometimes  displeas- 
ed when  my  brethren  applied  them  to  me. 
It  was  my  constant  practice   to  attend 
the    meetings  near  ;    especially    when   there 
was  any  one  to  preach,  hoping  to  gain  sq 
useful  knowledge.     My  mind  was,  however. 
often    disappointed  ;    for  some    were    called 
preachers,  who  needed  to  be   ta 

M2 


138 


LIFE    OF 


were  the  first  principles  of  the  oracles  of  GorL 
Sometime  id  November,  I  went  to  see  Elder 
"William  Grow,  the  man  that  baptised  me,  trho 
lived  in  Bridgwater,  about  six  miles  from  my 
fathers  house.  As  he  was  considered  a  man 
of  knowledge,  and  a  great  preacher,  I  con- 
cluded he  could  learn  me  to  preach.  He  re- 
ceived me  kindly,  and  gave  me  liberty  to  read 
his  books,  which  I  considered  a  great  privi- 
lege. He  had  one  book  called  "  Skeletons 
of  sermons  "  that  is,  bones  without  meat. 
They  were  properly,  blank  sermons  ;  a  man 
in  drawing  t^n  thousand  of  them,  w ould  never 
obtain  the  highest  prize  in  Christ  Jesus. 
They  were  fixed  in  the  following  manner  :  1. 
The  text  was  written.  2.  The  propositions 
were  stated  one  after  another  ;  the  passages 
of  scripture  quoted  to  prove  the  propositions, 
&c.  Then  the  inferences  and  application, 
'  set  in  order  after  them.  These  were  fixed,  to 
be  filled  up  by  the  young  preacher,  br  by  aa 
old  ignorant  one*  Elder  Grow7  handed  me 
the  book,  and  said,  "There  is  the  book  they 
gave  me,  when  men  undertook  to  make  a  min- 
ister of  me."  Speaking  in  this  manner  of  the 
book,  gave  me  a  diminutive  idea  of  if.  Not- 
withstanding this,  I  read  and  examined  it, 
till  I  said,  as  David  did  of  Saul's  armour, 
"  I  cannot  go  with  these/''  Crudeivs  con- 
cordance, gave  me  the  most  information  of 
any  book  he  had  ;  as  it  contained  the  mean- 
ing of  many  words  w'hich  I  had  never  before 
explained.  I  tarried  with  him  about 
iwo  weeke;  and  returned  home. 


ELI  AS    SMITH.  i$% 

Soon  after  this  I  visited  my  uncle,  Elisha 
Ransom,  a  baptist  preacher.  He  was  not  a 
popular  preacher,  but  a  man  of  penetration, 
and  good  understanding.  To  him  I  am  now 
indebted  for  the  first  instructions  in  the  art  of 
reading;  and  the  instructions  I  received  from 
him,  in  the  month  of  attending  his  school,  laid 
a  foundation  for  after  improvement.  As  he 
had  instructed  me  in  the  first  principles  of 
reading,  I  considered  him  capable  of  teaching 
me  in  the  first  principles  of  the  doctrine  of 
Christ.  I  told  him  some  of  the  exercises  of 
my  mind,  as  to  the  scriptures,  speak  1:  g  in 
public,  &c.  and  wished  such  instruction  and 
advice  from  him,  as  he  was  able  to  give.  He 
spake  freely  upon  the  subject ;  noticed  the 
greatness  and  importance  of  preaching  the 
everlasting  gospel  to  men,  and  advised  me  to 
make  the  scripture*  my  main  study,  as  they 
were  able  to  make  me  wise  unto  salvation, 
through  faith  in  Christ  Jesus. 

The  last  part  of  his  conversation  at  that 
time  was  upon  words  :  and  though  he  did  not 
talk  long,  what  he  said  has  been  of  great  use 
to  me,  from  that  day  till  now.  He  stated  that 
it  was  of  importance  to  know  the  meaning  of 
words,  and  the  different  tilings  often  meant  by 
one  word.  He  quoted  what  Solomon  said, 
u  The  preacher  sought  to  find  out  acceptable 
words  ;  and  that  which  was  written  was  up. 

I  ht,  even  words  of  truth. "  He  quoted  the 
writings  of  Paul  :  "Let  no  man  deceive  you 
with  vain  words. "  u  Hold  fast  the  form  of 
sound  words. v     "  With  good  words  and  fair 


140  LIFE    OF 

speeches,  deceive  the  hearts  of  the  simple/' 
"  Charge  them  before  the  Lord  that  they  strive 
not  about  words  to  no  profit  ;  but  to  the  sub- 
verting of  the  hearers."  After  quoting  these 
places  of  scripture  upon  words  ;  he  observed 
that  there  were  many  words  used,  not  found 
in  the  scriptures,  and  many  scripture  words 
used,  not  as  the  writers  used  them  ;  and  that 
to  know  the  meaning  of  a  word,  we  must 
know  what  the  author  meant  when  he  used  the 
word.  When  you  read,  said  he,  the  word 
righteousness,  atonement,  hope,  salvation, 
grace,  truth,  or  any  such  word,  find  the  sub- 
ject that  word  is  used  to  convey.  In  this  way 
said  he,  you  will  be  rich  in  ideas  as  well  as 
words  ;  for  he  who  only  knows  words,  is  like 
one  who  always  deals  in  empty  vessels  ;  you 
must  go  to  some  other  if  you  are  hungry.  All 
this  looked  rational,  and  I  then  resolved  to  at- 
tend to  what  he  said.  That  conversation  has 
been  of  great  use  to  me. 

In  the  first  part  of  public  speaking,  it  was 
my  constant  study  to  know  the  meaning  of  im- 
portant words  used  in  the  scriptures,  and  tW 
give  their  meaning  to  my  hearers.  For  sever- 
al years  past,  (remembering  what  my  uncle 
said,  that  there  were  many  words  used,  not  in 
the  scriptures,)  I  have  taken  particular  notice 
of  the  words  used  to  describe  doctrines,  which 
are  not  in  the  bible,  and  have  endeavored  to 
point  them  out  in  speaking  and  writing,  which 
lias  greatly  enraged  many  who  consent  not  to 
"wholesome  words,  even  the  words  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ.     This  instruction  given  me  up- 


ELIAS    SMITH.  14i 

on  words,  laid  the  foundation  for  writing  my 
new-testament  dictionary,  in  which  the  most 
important  words  are  noticed;  the  subject  stat- 
ed, contained  in  the  words  ;  and  unscriptural 
words  named  and  left  behind. 

For  the  instruction  of  others,  particularly 
young  preachers,  I  here  observe,  that  n^ny 
words  are  now  in  use  to  describe  some  princi- 
pal part  of  doctrine,  which  are  not  in  the 
scriptures  ;  this  often  causes  strife  and  con- 
tention. If  the  word  is  used  to  express  a  sub- 
ject in  the  bible,  the  word  used  in  the  bible 
to  express  that  subject,  is  better  than  an  un- 
scriptural word.  If  the  word  and  doctrine 
are  both  unscriptural,  it  is  in  vain  to  under- 
take to  prove  from  the  bible  that  which  is  not 
once  named  there.  The  wrord  trinity  is  an 
unscriptural  word,  and  to  is  the  doctrine,  and 
we  may  as  well  prove  purgatory  from  the  bi- 
ble, as  the  trinity  ;  for  neither  of  them  are 
mentioned  there.  There  arc;  some  scriptural 
words  which  are  used  to  describe  what  is  not 

med  in  the  bible.  Baptism  is  one.  It  is  in 
%e  bible  :  but  there  is  no  account  of  baptis- 

;  infants  there  ;  and  all  said  in  favor  of  that 
is  invention.  When  preachers  are  willing  to 
leave  unscriptural  words,  and  unscripturs  I 
trines,  for  the  words  of  Christ,  and  the 
plain  express  doctrine  of  Christ  and  the  apos- 
tles, jars  and  contentions  will  cease,  and  all 
will  consent  to  wholesome  words,  and  the  doc- 
trine which  is  according  to  godliness. 

The  winter  before  1  was  twenty-one  years 
old,  was- spent  in  teaching. the  youth,  .in  tha 


142  LIFE    OF 

school-house,  in  the  south  part  of  Woodstock. 
The  evenings  were  generally  spent  in  reading 
the  scriptures,  or  some  religious  hooks.  Ed- 
Wards*  history  of  redemption,  I  read  with  at- 
tention  and  pleasure.  Through  the  winter  my 
mind  was  constantly  agitated  with  the  subject 
of  preaching,  which  I  wished  never  to  be  en- 
gaged in,  if  possible  to  avoid  it  Sometimes 
it  appeared  to  me  that  death  was  to  be  chosen 
rather  tharf  preaching  the  gospel,  and  often  I 
thought  if  left  to  my  choice  to  be  a  preacher 
or  die,  I  should  choose  rather  to  die.  Sever- 
al times,  after  the  people  were  gone  from  the 
school- house,  there  was  a  strong  temptation 
in  my  mind  to  get  under  the  school- house  and 
die  there. 

This  was  the  state  of  my  mind  through  the 
winter,  and  there  was  no  one  that  knew  the 
unhappy  state  of  my  mind.  Some  time  ia 
March,  I  left  the  school  and  returned  to  my 
father's,  and  attended  closely  to  my  studies, 
meaning  never  to  be  a  preacher  if  it  could  be 
avoided,  and  yet  to  be  prepared  for  it,  if  it 
should  ever  be  duty.  My  mind  was  so  di* 
tressed  oftentimes,  that  I  could  not  work,  and 
sometimes  had  no  appetite  for  my  food.  Ma- 
ny times  I  arose  before  day,  and  went  into  the 
woods,  and  there  remained  the  greatest  part 
of  the  day,  without  any  food.  My  time  was 
spent  in  prayer,  reading  the  bible,  and  med- 
itating on  what  it  contained.  Sometimes  I 
wished  a  bible  had  never  been  put  into  my 
hands;  sometimes  I  felt  a  strong  temptation  to 
throw  my  bible  away  and  drown  myself;  or 


ELIAS    SMITH.  143 

starve  in  the  woods.  My  parents  were  fre- 
quently alarmed  about  me,  fearing  what  might 
happen,  and  frequently  called  after  me,  when 
in  the  wilderness,  and  though  I  heard,  yet 
I  gave  them  no  answer. 

iu  the  month  of  May,  I  began  my  summer 
school,  in  the  same  house  where  it  was  in  the 
winter.  About  this  time,  I  heard  there  was 
to  be  a  meeting  of  several  baptist  ministers  in 
Chester,  about  twenty  miles  from  Woodstock, 
the  last  of  the  month.  I  had  a  great  desire 
to  attend  the  meeting,  hoping  to  learn  some- 
thing profitable.  Elder  John  Peak,  who  now 
lives  in  Newburyport,  Mass.  was  to  attend 
that  meeting,  and  requested  me  to  go.  Having 
obtained  leave  of  the  school  committee,  to  be 
gone  one  week,  I  put  on  my  surtout,  without 
any  other  coat,  or  change  of  raiment,  and  set 
out  on  foot,  for  Windsor,  where  EIde£  Peak 
lived,  expecting  to  walk  from  there  to  Chester, 
while  lie  rode  through  Ciaremont,  to  attend  a 
meeting  he  had  appointed. 

At  that  time  the  baptist  ministers  were  poor, 
and  made  a  mean  appearance  in  the  -world,  to 
what  many  of  them  do*  now.  To  have 
ed  one  of  them  in  Hack  then,  with  a  ftand&iitl 
surplice,  and  called  him  'Rev.  or  D.  D.  wouTd 
have  affrighted  him,  especially  had  he  in  ad- 
dition to  this,  received  a  salary.  Mr.  Peak 
was  low  in  the  world,  and  in  his  own  esteem, 
and  the  Lord  looked  to  him  then.  He  was  a 
tailor  and'followed  the  business  when  at  h  >me. 
He  had  an  old  horse,  poor  and  lame,  which 
he  thought  unfit  ro  ride  to  Chester,  as  he  ex. 


144  LIFE    OF 

pected  to  go  from  Chester  to  Adams  in  Massa- 
chusetts, to  attend  the  Shaftsbury  association 
the  first  of  June.  He  told  me,  that  if  it  would 
not  mortify  my  pride  too  much,  I  might  ride 
his  old  lame  horse  to  Chester.  This  offer  I 
accepted,  and  set  out  with  him.  We  were 
both  poorly  dressed,  and  felt  our  dependence. 
The  first  day  we  rode  to  Glaremont;  he  preach- 
ed,  and  I  prayed  with  the  assembly,  which 
was  about  all  I  ever  had  done  in  public,  at 
that  time. 

The  next  day  we  set  out  for  Chester.  We 
crossed  Connecticut  river  from  Charlestown, 
into  Hockingham.  The  only  way  we  could 
cross  the  river  was  in  a  canoe.  We  put  our 
saddles  in  the  cance ;  led  our  horses  into  the 
river,  one  upon  each  side  ;  the  man  paddled 
{he  boat  ;  we  held  our  horses  by  the  bridles, 
and  they  swam  by  the  side  of  us  and  got  safe- 
ly across  the  river. 

In  riding  a  small  distance  from  the  river, 
we  came  to  the  house  of  Elder  John  Peckins, 
a  baptist  minister,  living  in  that  town.  With 
h;m  we  tarried  that  night.  As  my  calculation 
was  to  heferand  not  speak  much,  my  attention 
drawn  to  all  he  and  Mr.  Peak  said. 
' The  next  day  we  all  went  to  Chester,  and 
put  up  at  the  house  of  Elder  Aaron  Leland,  a 
baptist  minister,  who  still  resides  in  that  town. 
He  received  us  cheerfully,  and  his  company 
was  peculiarly  pleasing  to  me,  as  he  was  a 
good  man,  and  of  considerable  information, 
for  that  day.  There  w  ere  not  many  ministers 
at  the  meeting,  nor  mauy  people.     In  conver- 


ELIAS    SMITH.  445 

aation  at  Elder  LelancPs  house,  some  things 
were  conversed  upon,  which  they  called  doc- 
trinal  points  ;  but  as  they  were  beyond  my 
comprehension,  I  retained  but  little  of  what 
was   said. 

The  instruction  and  satisfaction  gained  at 
this  meeting  was  so  little,  that  it  was  lost  time, 
and  I  wished  I  had  tarried  at  home  and  read 
my  bible.  As  Elder  Leland  was  going  to 
the  association,  lie  proposed  to  me,  to  go  with 
them.  Although  I  greatly  desired  to  go^ 
yet  it  appeared  impracticable,  as  I  had  no 
horse  but  a  cripple  ;  only  an  outside  coat,  to 
wear  in  June,  and  had  agreed  to  return  to  my 
fechool  in  oae  week.  Elder  Peak  said,  I 
might  have  his  horse  free  of  expence,  and 
thought  the  people  would  not  complain  if  my 
school  was  left  two  or  three  weeks.  From 
every  consideration,  I  concluded  to  set  out 
with  them  accross  the  green  mountains, 
through  a  desert  land,  and  waste  howling  wil- 
derness. 

The  first  Sunday  I  attended  meeting  with 
Elder  Leland  in  Westminster,  at  the  baptist 
meeting  house.  Here  I  prayed  after  he  had 
done  preaching;  which  was  the  first  time  I 
ever  prayed  in  a  Meeting  house.  My  mind 
was  greatly  embarrassed,  as  a  meeting  house 
then  was  to  me  a  very  different  place  from 
what  it  is  now.  On  Monday  morning,  Elder 
Peak,  and  Elder  Perkins  came  on,  to  ga 
with  us  to  the  association.  The  first  place 
wre  stopped  at,  if  my  memory  serves,  w  as  at 
Colerain,  at  the  house  of  Elder  Obsd   War- 

K 


146  LIFE    #'F 

ren,  a  baptist  preacher.  With  him  we  tar- 
ried till  morning.  He  lived  in  a  log  house, 
but  was  blessed  with  the  comforts  of  life.  He 
and  his  wife  received  us  joyfully,  and  posses- 
sed the  spirit  of  the  gospel.  We  spent  the 
time  agreeably  in  conversation,  prayer,  and 
singing.  At  this  house  I  first  saw  Rippon's 
hymn  book,  which  pleased  me  much.  I 
found  the  hymn,  "  Jesus  and  shall  it  ever  be ; 9> 
I  wrote  it  off,  and  when  Icame  toNewhamp- 
shire,  brought  it,  and  it  is  now  generally 
known  and  sung  by  thousands. 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

On  the  morrow  we  set  out  with  Elder  War- 
ren and  others,  for  Adams.  We  had  a  dis- 
mal desert  to  p*ss  through  ;  some  of  the  way 
very  rough,  and  but  few  inhabitants.  We 
passed  through  what  was  then  called  No.  7* 
and  Bullock's  Grant.  Several  places  we  were 
obliged  to  lead  our  horses,  and  sometimes 
we  were  almost  afraid  to  go  before  them  down 
the  hills.  After  travelling  some  miles  with- 
out any  refreshment,  excepting  what  we  re- 
ceived of  the  brooks  in  the  way,  Elder  Le- 
lattd,  who  with  Hie  and  onefor  two  more  were 
forward  of  the  others, sat  down  on  a  log  by 
the  wav,  to  wait  for  those  behind.  After  the 
others  came  up,  he  said,  "Brethren,  I  wisk 
you  to  join  with  me  to  sirigthis  verse," 

kiLord  -what  a  -wret  cited  land  is  this, 

Which  yields  vs   no    ail 
•7V  o  cheering  fruit,  no  "wholesome  tree, 

JVbr  streams  of  living  joy." 


ELIAS    SMITH.  14:7 

This  we  all  sung  heartily,  and  wished  for 
something  hetter  than  the  hymn  or  wilderness 
afforded.  This  rough  road,  and  hardship, 
was  nothing  to  me,  compared  to  the  pleasure 
anticipated  at  the  end  of  the  journey. 

Towards  night  we  found  ourselves    among 
inhabitants,  who  let  us  have  some  refreshment 
free.     My    lame  horse  kept  up  with  the  oth- 
ers ;    and    though  without  one  cent  of  money, 
I  was    continually  provided  for   among   the 
company.         Towards  night,  we    began    to 
enquire  for  baptists,  and  heard  of  one  at  some 
distance.     We  travelled  till  about   midnight 
to  get  to  his  house.     The    man    received  us, 
put  our  horses  into  the  pasture,  and  gave  us 
bread  and  milk  for  supper.     We  sleptj   some 
on  beds,  and  some  on  the  floor ;  so  we  remain- 
ed till  morning.     This  was  the  day  the  asso- 
ciation met ;  we  were  then  several  miles  from 
Adams,  and  rode  fast,  to  be  there  in    season. 
We  arrived  at  Adams  about  the  middle  of  the 
day,  and  put  up  with  old  Elder  Peter  Wor- 
dan,  a  worthy  preacher.     The  ministers  who 
attended  the  association,  were  chiefly  at  his 
house.     Some  of  them  I  now  remember  ;  a- 
mong  the   many  were  the  following  :  Elder 
John  Gano,  from  Kentucky  ;  his  son  Stephen 
Gano,  who    now  lives  at  Providence,  K.  I. 
Elder  John  Waldo,    Elder    Henry    Green, 
Elder  Hamilton,  Elder  Moffat,  Elder  Isaac 
Webb,    who   now    lives  in    Albany;  Eider 
Isaac  Smith,  Elder   Justus    Hull,  of  Little 
Hosick,  N.  Y.  Elder  Caleb  Blood,  of  Shafts- 
bury,   Vt.  since  died   in  Portland,    Maine. 


148  life  #r 

These  I  now  remember,  besides  those  I  went 
there  with. 

Tliese  Elders  were  happy  in  meeting  each 
other,  on  that  occasion.  I  had  but  little  to  do 
excepting  to  hear,  learn,  and  remember.  The 
*hief  conversation  before  the  public  meeting, 
-was  upon  the  things  of  the  kingdom  of  Christ. 
I  remember  some  conversation  they  had  re- 
specting ministers  and  preaching.  Mr.  Ham- 
ilton, Who  was  an  Englishman,  told  the  com- 
"pany  of  a  good  man  in  England,  who  had 
more  religion  than  learning,  that  preached 
from  Isaiah,  i.  8,  "And  the  daughter  ofZion 
is  left  as  a  cottage  in  a  vineyard,  as  a  lodge 
in  a  garden  of  cucumbers,  as  a  besieged  cityP 
The  man  read  it,  "as  a  log  in  a  garden  of 
cucumbers;"  and  from  this,  undertook  to 
shew  how  professors  of  religion  stood,  or  lay 
in  the  way  of  others.  Mr.  Peak,  who  was 
then  an  inquisitive  man,  and  desirous  to  learn, 
asked  Mr.  Hamilton  what  that  place  of  scrip- 
ture meant.  Mr.  Hamilton  said,  that  in  Asia, 
vineyards  were  often  far  from  any  house  ;  and 
that  for  the  accommodation  of  the  vine  dresser, 
in  the  season  of  attending  to  the  fruit,  a  small 
hut  was  built  for  him,  aud  when  the  grapes 
were  all  gathered,  the  man  left  his  cottage  till 
the  next  year.  He  also  stated,  that  in  many 
parts  of  the  world,  cucumbers,  were  a  princi- 
ple article  of  food  and  where  there  was  a 
large  field  of  them  far  from  an  house,  a  small 
place  was  built,  that  a  man  might  lodge  th 
through  the  night,  until  the  season  was  over  ; 
then  he  left  it  till  another  scasou,     This    b* 


ELIAS    SMITtt.  149 

said  described  the  state  of  Jerusalem,  when 
its  riches  and  inhabitants  were  carried  away 
by  their  enemies. 

At  the  close  of  this  conversation,  some  one 
mentioned  that  it  was  about  time  to  attend 
the  public  meeting.  The  ministers  then  be- 
gan to  look  at  their  watches,  and  no  two  of 
them  agreed.  Mr.  Blood  observed,  that  if 
the  preachers  were  as  far  from  each  other,  as 
their  watches,  they  should  have  a  jumbling 
association.  Mr.  Smith  from  Patridgefield, 
Mass.  observed,  "  that  to  have  their  watches 
right,  they  must  all  be  set  by  the  sun."  To 
this  they  all  agreed,  and  went  to  the  meeting 
house.  This  last  saying  I  kept  in  memory, 
and  have  since  found  the  benefit  of.  There 
are  many  preachers  and  others,  who  compare 
themselves  by  themselves,  and  measure  them- 
selves among  themselves:  but  Paul  says,  they 
are  nut  wise.  Each  sect,  or  party  say,  we  ar$ 
agreed  among  ourselves  :  or  at  least  we  mean 
to  be  so,  and  especially  those  that  differ  the 
most  among  themselves.  Were  all  to  sub- 
mit to  Christ,  who.  is  the  standard,  the  sun 
of  righteousness  ;  all  would  not  only  be  all; 
but  all  would  be  right,  and  in  harmony  a- 
mong  themselves. 

I  do  not  now  remember  the  order  in  which 
each  man  preached  ;  but  well  remember  who 
preached,  the  texts  spoken  upon,  and  the 
manner  in  which  they  preached.  The  first 
sermon  was  delivered  by  Elder  John  Waldo, 
who  lived  in  Vermont,  or   New-York.     His 

X  was  John,  xvii.  88,  "That  they  may  be 


150  LIFE    OF 

§ne9  even  as  tee  are  one."    He  undertook  first, 
to  shew  how  God  and  Christ   were  one.     1. 
They  were  one  in  creating  the  world.     2.  One 
in  ruling  the  world.     3.  One  in  the    work    of 
redemption.     4.  One  in  election,  or  in  choos- 
ing  a   few    to    the   exclusion   of  all    others. 
Second,  he  endeavored  to   shew    what   that 
oneness  was,  which   Christ  prayed  his    disci- 
ples might  have.     The  next  sermon  was  de- 
livered by   a   young   man  by    the  name  of 
Thomas  Montonye,  who  then  lived  in  War- 
wick, N".  Y.  and  now  lives  in   Northampton, 
Penn.   His  text  was,  Psalm  cxliv.  15,  u  Yea, 
liappy  is  that  people,  whose  God  is  the  Lord." 
He  first  described  that  people   whose  God  is 
the  Lord.     2.  The  happiness  peculiar  to  such 
a  people.     His  discourse  I  treasured  up,  and 
can  repeat  it  as  to    the   particulars    now.     I 
then  thought  him  the  happiest  young  man  on 
earth.     He  was  not  far  from    my    age,  and  I 
had  no  doubt  of  his  being  called  of  God   to 
preach  the  gospel ;  and  supposed  he  had  no 
doubt  of  his  duty  in  that  respect. 

In  the  course  of  the  business  of  the  associ- 
ation, Elder  John  Gano,  was  requested  to 
give  some  account  of  the  state  of  the  churches 
in  the  western  country,  and  of  revivals  of  re- 
ligion among  the  people.  The  account  he 
gave  was  interesting  and  refreshing. 

At  the  close  of  the  business  of  the  associa- 
tion, Elder  John  Gano  preached  a  farewell 
sermon,  as  he  never  expected  to  visit  that 
place  again.  I  was  not  at  all  pleased,  at 
hearing  he  was  to  preach,  as  there  was   oth- 


ELIAS    SMITH.  151 

ers  whose  appearance  was  much    more  plea- 
sing  to  me  than    his.     I    concluded    he   was 
asked  to  preach  out  of  respect  to  his  age,  aucl 
from  his  appearance,  being  a  small  old  man, 
I  concluded  he  could  not  be  much  of  a  preach- 
er.    After  prayer  and  singing,  he    stood    up 
to  read  his  text  which  was  tbis>  Rom.  xvi.  24, 
'•'  The   grace  of  our  Lord   Jesus  Christ  be 
with   you    all.    Amen*'     After   reading    his 
text,  he  stood  some  time  without    saying  one 
word  ;  in  which  time  the  eyes  of  all  the  as- 
sembly were  fixed  upon  him.     I   concluded 
he  remained  silent,  because  he  had    nothing 
to  say.     At  last  he  said,  with  a   loud    voice, 
"  I  am  loth  to  spoil  this  good  text,  and  I  am 
sure  I  can  make  it  no  better."     Here  he  pau- 
sed again  for  some  time.  He  then  spake  again, 
saying,  u  Who  shall  I  say  this  to  :  the  grace 
of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  be   with  you  all.** 
He  then  paused  again,  and  looking  earnestly 
at  the  young  people  in  the  gallery,  said.  "You 
young   people  in   the    gallery,    can    I    say 
this  to  you.     I    do    not   know  ;  I   fear   not. 
Did  the  Lord  ever  see  you  on  your  knees  in 
the  grove,  or  in  your  bed  chamber,  crying  like 
the  publican  for  mercy?  If  so,  I  can  say  this 
to  you,  but  I  cannot  without."     By  this  time 
every  person  in  the  house  was  ready  to  hear, 
and  I  fully  believed  he  could  preach. 

In  his  introduction  he  took  particular  uotice 
of  the  salutations  of  Paul  to  the  members  of 
the  church  in  Rome ;  in  which  not  far  from 
thirty  are  mentioned.  He  observed  that  often 
he  felt  backward  in  bidding  farewell  to  each 
individual,  wheu  there  were  many  in  the  coia- 


LIFE    6F 

pany  ;  and  also  in  asking  the  welfare  of  eack 
*me  he  met;  and  sometimes  when  writing  a  let- 
ter, he  gave  his  salutation  to  all  as  one,  when 
there  were  several  individuals,  who  merited 
a  particular  salutation  in  distinction  from  the 
whole.  But,  said  he,  when  I  read  this  chapter, 
and  see  how  particular  Paul  was,  to  give  or- 
ders to  greet  so  many  individuals,  I  feel  asha- 
med of  myself,  to  think  I  should  be  so  sneak- 
ing, as  to  refuse  to  followr  such  an  example, 
as  the  one  here  set  by  Paul  the  apostle  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ.  When  ke  came  to  his 
text,  he  spake  excellently  of  the  grace  of  ouv 
Lord  Jesus,  and  gave  a  solemn  and  profitable 
exhortation  and  warning  to  the  ministers  ;  and 
particularly  those  that  were  young.  The 
"whole  assembly  felt  the  force  of  that  portion 
he  gave  to  each  one  in  due  season.  The 
meeting  closed  by  singing  a  farewell  bynin, 
composed  by  Elder  Justus  Hull.  "Farewell 
my  brethren  in  the  Lord." 

This  was  an  happy,  profitable  opportunity 
to  me,  as  the  glorious  things  I  heard  and  un- 
derstood, led  me  for  a  while  to  forget  almost 
every  thing  earthly. 

Elder  Blood,  and  several  other  preach- 
ers in  Vermont,  had  appointed  what  they 
called  a  general  meeting,  in  Shaftsbury,  where 
Elder  Blood  lived.  As  Elders  Peak  and 
Leland  were  to  attend  that  meeting,  I  went 
with  them ;  being  determined  to  hear  and 
learn  all  that  would  profit  me,  thinking  that 
might  be  the  last  meeting  of  the  kind  I  should 
eter  atteud.     This   meeting   was  appointed 


M.IAS    SMITH.  !5fc 

the  Saturday,  Sunday,  and  Monday  after 
the  meeting  of  the  association,  and  the 
greater  part  of  the  Elders  attended.  There 
were  several  discourses  delivered.  Elder 
Henry  Green,  of  Walliagford,  spake  from 
Ezekiel  xviii.  85,  "  Hear  now,  O  house  of 
Israel,  is  not  my  way  equal  P  Are  not  your 
ways  unequal?"  Elder  T.  Montonye,  preach- 
ed from  Isaiah,  xxxiii.  20,  "Look  upon  Zion 
the  city  of  our  solemnities."  Elder  Jordou 
Dodge,  spake  upon  Sojoinon's  Songs,  iii.  9, 
"  King-  Solomon  made  himself  a  chariot  of 
the  wood  of  Lebanon." 

On  Sunday  morning,  Elder  John  Gano 
preached  from  Phil.  ii.  5,  "  Let  this  mind  be 
in  you ,  which  teas  also  in  Christ  Jesus."  In 
speaking  upon  his  text,  he  noticed  the  exalted 
state  of  Jesus  Christ.  A  great  company  ef 
people  came  together  to  hear,  among  whom 
were  &qyqv;i\  deists.  In  speaking  upon  Christ, 
he  observed  that  almost  every  person  profess- 
ed to  believe  in  Christ,  excepting  now  and 
tiien  a  deist,  and,  said  he,  they  are  more  im- 
pudent than  the  devil,  for  he  acknowledged 
him  to  be  the  Son  of  God  ;  and,  said  he,  I 
should  hs  ashamed  to  have  it  said  that  even 
the  devil  was  a  greater  believer  than  myself. 
This  was  an  heavy  blow  to  the  deists  who 
attended  the  meeting. 

After  giving  a  description  of  the  greatness 
of  Christ,  he  considered  the  exhortation,  "Let 
this  mind  be  in  you,  which  was  also  in  Christ 
Jesus."  He  observed  that  many  were  oppo- 
sed to  mimicry,  hut,   said   he,  I  am  not  $* 


4.54  LIFE    SF 

much  opposed  to  it  as  some  are  :  we  are  in  a 
xniniicing  world.    "  Here  !   here  !"  said    he, 
"  is    a   pattern    for  yon    all :    mimic    Jesua 
Christ  ;  "  let  this  miv.tl  he  in  yon  that  was  in 
him  f"  act  like  him,  and  God,  angels  and  good 
men  will  approve  of  your  conduct."  In  speak- 
ing upon  this  particular,  he  observed  that  Je- 
sus  bowed  before  his  father,  and  that  every 
knee  must  bow  to  him,  here  or  hereafter.  He 
then,  with  the  authority  of  one  sent  of  God  to 
preach,  cast  his  eyes  ground  on  the  assembly, 
and  with  a  solemn  voice,  said,  "  My  friends, 
young  and  old,  I  tell  you  it  is  but  to  bow  at 
the  present  time  ;  it  must  be  done  ;  do  it  now 
in  secret,  or  you  must  bow  in  that  great  day, 
when  an  assembly  of  saints  and  angels  shall 
see  you  bow  under  tlie  iron  rod,  which  shall 
dash  you  in  pieces  like  a  potters  vessel,  and 
there  will  be  none  to  deliver!"  His  words 
were  like  thunder,  and  while  ha  thus  spake, 
the  solemnity  of  heaven  seemed    to    gather 
around,  and  every  ear  witnessed  to  the  solemn 
truth,  uttered  by   this  aged  witness  of  Jesus. 
At  noon  Elder  Blood  baptised  one,  and  they 
communed    in  the   afternoon.     Elder  Gano, 
broke  the  bread,    and   talked  solemnly,   and 
profitably   upon   that  command,   and   to  the 
preachers  and    members  present.     One  thing 
he  said  upon  the  bread  and  wine,  which  then 
was   weighty  to  me,  and  which  on    that  ac- 
count I  have  retained  to  this  day      When  hm 
took  off  the  cloth  which  was  over  the  bread 
and  wine,  he  said  that  in  doing  it,  he  often 
thought  of  the  widow  vrko  had  preserved  the 


feLlAS    SMITH.  165 

likeness  of  her  husband  to  know  how  he  once 
looked,  though  dead  ;  this  likeness,  said  he, 
often  causes  grief?  hut  O,  how  great  is  the 
difference  here  !  This  is  to  shew  how  Jesus 
once  was  when  in  the  grave  ;  but  this  brings 
joy  ;  for  it  shews  that  he  who  was  once  dead 
is  alive,  and  lives  forevermore,  and  he  says 
by  this,  "  Because  I  live  ye  shall  live  also." 
This  communion  season  was  very  solemn, 
and  interesting  to  me.  On  Monday  morning 
the  Elders  and  brethren  met  again.  Elder 
John  Gano  preached  the  last  sermon  but  one, 
from  2  Cor.  xiii.  11,  i% Finally  brethren  fare- 
well." He  spake  upon  two  things.  1.  The 
brethren.  2  .What  it  was  to  fare  well.  In 
speaking  upon  the  brethren,  he  said  a  family 
was  meant,  and,  said  he,  u  I  bless  God  !  I 
think  I  have  an  acquaintance  with  the  first 
born  of  the  whole  family  !"  This  was  a  pro- 
fitable discourse,  and  as  he  was  old,  and  about 
to  leave  the  place  soon,  no  more  to  return, 
what  he  said  greatly  affected  the  preachers, 
and  many  others  who  heard  his  last  words. 
The  last  discourse  was  delivered  by  Elder 
Blood,  from  these  words,  "Gather  up  the  frag- 
ments, that  nothing  be  lost."  He  took  up 
every  discourse  that  had  been  delivered ; 
mentioned  each  proposition,  and  the  manner 
in  which  each  particular  was  spoken  upon. 
This  sermon  was  a  curiosity,  as  it  not  only 
brought  each  sermon  to  remembrance,  but 
•hewed  the  strength  of  memory  with  which 
the  preacher  was  blessed.  This  with  a  few  ex- 
hortations, some  praying  and  siugiug,  closed 


456  LIFR   €F 

the  meeting.  The  people  returned  to  their 
homes,  and  the  preachers  went  their  ways  to 
preach  the  glad  tidings  to  oilier  cities  also. 

During  the  time  of  my  stay  in  Shaftsbury^ 
I  lodged  at  the  house  of  deacon  Clark,  a  wor- 
thy brother,  and  I  believe,  real  follower  of  the 
Lamb.  His  second  wife,  with  whom  he  then 
lived,  was  the  widow  Erown,  of  Lyme,  Con. 
with  whom  I  had  been  acquainted,  when 
about  ten  years  old.  It  was  pleasing  to  meet 
her  there,  and  great  joy  to  her,  to  find  me,  as 
she  believed,  a  lover  of  the  Saviour.  My 
visit  between  the  meetings  was  particularly 
pleasing.  Deacon  Clark  gave  me  a  general 
account  of  his  life,  conversion,  and  afflictions. 
One  circumstance  he  mentioned,  I  have  often 
related  in  public  and  private,  which  was  the 
following  :  •<  A  few  years  ago,"  said  he,  "  in 
ihe  month  of  March,  my  house,  which  stood 
where  this  stands,  was  consumed  by  fiir,  and 
almost  all  in  the  house  went  with  it.  The 
next  month,  my  wife  died,  and  in  May,  two 
of  my  sons  went  to  Mash  some  sheep,  and 
one,  in  wading  after  a  sheep  that  swam  from 
him,  was  drowned.  All  this  in  about  three 
months.  When  I  looked  to  where  my  houss 
stood,  it  was  empty.  When  I  looked  into  my 
field,  where  my  son  once  labored,  it  was  emp- 
ty. When  1  looked  into  the  house  where  I 
resided,  after  mine  was  burnt,  and  my  wife 
was  gone,  it  was  empty ;  and  the  whole  world 
was  empty  ;  and  but  for  one  thing,  1  should 
have  despaired  ;  that  was,  when  I  looked  to 
heaven,  I  could  see  an  empty  mansion,  which 


ELIAS    SMITH.  157 

Jesus  was  then  preparing  for  me ;  this  gave 
ine  comfort,  under  all  my  troubles  and  losses. " 
This  account  was  interesting  to  me.  Well  is 
it  for  all  who  are  in  trouble,  if  they  can  say, 
"  Jesus  has  gone  to  prepare  a  place  for  nie." 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

The  morning  after  the  meeting  closed,  I 
set  out  with  Elders  Peak  and  Leland,  for 
Manchester,  to  see  Elder  Joseph  Cornwall, 
who  at  that  time  lived  there ;  he  has  sinca 
resided  in  Providence,  It.  I.  and  last  year, 
1814,  lived  in  Galaway,  N.  Y.  We  put  up 
with  him  on  Tuesday  evening,  and  appointed 
a  meeting  for  the  two  Elders  at  his  meeting 
house,  at  3  o'clock  the  next  day.  I  was  re- 
markably pleased  with  him,  his  family,  and 
the  order  of  his  house.  In  the  morning  his 
sons  eame  in  from  the  field,  and  all  the  family 
came  together.  One  of  his  sons  read  a  chap- 
ter, and  shut  the  bible.  He  asked  the  two 
preachers  if  they  had  any  remarks  to  make  on 
what  had  been  read.  They  said  they  had 
none.  He  then  remarked  on  the  different 
things  recorded  in  the  chapter,  and  made  a 
suitable  application,  addressing  himself  to  his 
children,  who  appeared  to  bear  with  attention 
and  approbation.  He  then  proposed  for  one 
to  pray.  Elder  Leland  prayed}  and  then 
each  of  the  family  went  their  ways.  The 
practice  of  reading  the  scriptures  in  a  family, 
when  it  can  be  done,  is  of  great  advantage  to 

O 


158  LIFE    ©F 

children  and  youth,  as  well  as  to  the  aga!, 
The  foundation  laid  in  my  mind  for  retaining 
the  scriptures,  was  laid  by  hearing  the  scrip, 
tures  read  in  my  father's  family,  from  year  to 
year.  Each  one  will  generally  remember  some 
part  of  what  is  read.  Elder  Cornwall,  who  at 
that  time  was  considered  a  man  of  considerable 
information,  conversed  freely,  in  the  forenoon, 
upon  various  parts  of  the  scriptures,  which  to 
me  was  both  edifying  and  instructive.  In  the 
afternoon  we  went  to  the  meeting-house,  where 
several  people  had  collected.  Elder  Leland 
preached  first,  from  Gal.  iii.  29,  u  And  if  ye  be 
Chrisfs,  then  are  ye  Abraham's  seed,and  heirs 
according  to  the  promise."  As  near  as  I  now 
recollect,  he  shewed,  i.  What  it  was  to  be 
Christ's.  2.  The  peculiar  privileges  of  all 
such  ;  which  consisted  in  two  tilings.  1.  They 
were  Abraham's  seed.  2.  They  were  heirs 
according  to  the  promise.  He  spake  well, 
and  to  the  general  satisfaction  of  those  who 
heard.  As  soon  as  he  had  done,  Elder  Peak 
undertook  to  preach  from  Col.  iv.  18,  "  Grace 
be  icith  you."  He  endeavored,  i.  To  describe 
Grace.  2.  To  shew  the  meaning  of  "  Grace 
be  with  you."  He  had  but  little  understand- 
ing  of  the  subject,  and  at  that  time  not  preach- 
ing grace  enough  to  speak  freely  and  profitably 
upon  the  subject,  belabored  to  but  little  profit 
for  about  half  an  hour;  and  as  he  found  he 
could  not  go  on  freely  with  the  subject,  he  sat 
down,  greatly  mortified.  All  seemed  to  pity 
him,  but  this  did  not  make  up  for  the  mtrtifi- 
oatiou  he  felt  at  that  time.     After  meeting  we 


ELI  AS    SMITH.  159 

Went  to  Elder  Cornwall's  and  tarried  till  the 
next  morning.  In  the  evening,  Elder  Corn- 
wall conversed  with  him  upon  the  subject  of 
preaching,  and  told  him  he  did  not  study 
enough,  and  that  he  ought  to  give  himself 
more  to  the  work.  All  this  only  added  afflic- 
tions to  the  afflicted.  Elder  Peak  wepf, 
sobbed,  sat  sometine  in  silence,  and  almost 
concluded  never  to  preach  again.  In  the 
morning  we  set  out  for  Chester,  but  Elder 
Peak  had  a  sorrowful  day.  Sometimes  he 
wept,  and  lamented  his  ignorance  and  poverty, 
his  being  confined  to  his  goose,  lap-board, 
and  shears,  the  straitened  situation  his  family 
was  then  in.  Sometimes  he  would  ride  be- 
hind us  out  of  sight,  for  several  miles ;  and  at 
other  times  ride  in  our  company,  without 
saying  much.  We  endeavored  to  comfort  him, 
but  for  many  hours,  he  refused  to  be  comforted. 
Towards  night  he  felt  better,  concluded  he 
would  improve  what  he  had,  bear  his  burden, 
preach,  and  make  clothes ;  and  wait  for  the 
Lord  to  prepare  something  better  for  him,  if 
he  thought  it  best.  That  night  we  arrived  at 
Chester ;  the  next  day  we  went  to  Windsor, 
and  the  day  following  I  walked  on  f  jot  from 
thereto  Woodstock.  I  had  been  cone  about 
three  weeks,  of  which  the  school  committee 
made  no  complaint.  This  journey  was  very 
profitable  to  me,  as  it  gave  me  an  acquaintance 
with  many  preachers,  and  brethren  :  and  gave 
me  an  understanding  of  many  things  in  the 
scriptures  which  before  were  unknown  to  me. 
Instead  ofbeingmore  contented  in  my  school. 


lflt  LIFE   Of 

my  mind  was  the  other  way,  and  the  duty  of 
speakijig  publicly,  pressed  harder  on  me  than 
before ;  and  I  felt  about  determined  to  consent 
for  once  to  speak  in  public  at  the  earnest  and 
repeated  request  of  my  brethren  and  friends. 

On  the  19th  of  July,  1790,  when  I  was 
twenty  one  years,  one  month,  and  four  days 
old,  I  appointed  a  meeting  at  the  house  of 
Deacon  Laurence,  who  lived  in  the  corner  of 
Woodstock  or  Hartland.  This  appointment 
made  some  talk,  as  many  concluded  it  wa3 
impossible  for.  me  to  preach,  because,  they 
said,  I  had  never  said  much  in  my  whole  life ; 
and  they  concluded,  it  was  not  likely  I  should 
say  much  then .  Many  times,  after  fehe  meeting 
Was  appointed,  I  was  heartily  sorry  that  I 
had  ever  consented  to  it,  but  as  it  was  ap- 
pointed, I  concluded  to  go,  as  it  was  in  my 
mind,  to  be  the  first  and  last  time.  When 
the  morning  of  that  day  came,  the  light  to  me 
was  as  the  terrors  of  death.  1  went  to  the 
place  appointed,  and  found  a  considerable 
number  of  people  gathered,  to  hear  what  was 
to  be  said.  After  the  usual  form  of  beginning 
the  meeting,  I  stood  by  the  side  of  a  low  case 
of  drawers,  and  read  this  for  my  text ;  John 
v.  39,  u  Search  the  scriptures."  I  men- 
tioned seven  particulars  respecting  the  text. 
1.  The  necessity  of  the  scriptures.  3.  The 
integrity  of  them.  3.  The  truth  of  Hie  scrip- 
tures. 4.  The  evidence  of  their  being  from 
God.  3.  The  plainness  of  the  scriptures. 
6.  The  perfection  of  the  scriptures.  7-  The 
duty  enjoined  on  all,  which  is  to   search  ths 


EUAS    SMITH.  I6i 

scriptures,  because  in  them  we  think  ue  have 
eternal  life.  These  particulars  I  took  up 
regularly,  one  after  another,  and  illustrated 
them  according  to  tbe  best  of  my  understand- 
ing at  that  time.  I  remained  in  about  one 
position,  through  the  whole  time  of  speaking. 
My  arm  remained  on  the  drawers,  my  feet  in 
one  place,  and  being  easily  daunted,  I  do  not 
know  that  for  once  my  eyes  were  on  the  as- 
sembly. After  speaking  about  one  hour,  I 
sat  down.  After  the  meeting  was  closed,  tit© 
people  retired  for  about  an  hour,  and  came 
together  to  hear  again  of  this  matter.  Some 
said  at  noon,  u  whence  hath  this  man  these 
things,  having  never  known  letters  ;  "  some 
said  one  thing  and  some  another,  though  I 
believe  the  people  in  general,  thought  it  was 
my  duty  to  speak  publicly,  and  that  it  had 
been  for  some  time.  I  told  the  brethren  ihey 
must  improve  in  the  afternoon,  as  1  had  no 
more  to  say.  They  urged  me  hard  to  speak 
but  I  utterly  refused,  as  I  had  no  more  to  say, 
and  meant  to  stop  from  that  time.  The  after- 
noon was  spent  in  singing,  prayer  and  exhor- 
tation. At  the  close  of  the  meeting  they  urged 
me  so  hard  to  meet  with  them  the  next  first 
day,  that  I  consented  to  appoint  the  meeting. 
I  returned  to  my  school,  and  through  the  \\  eek 
felt  ashamed,  mortified,  vexed,  and  at  times 
sorry  that  I  had  so  exposed  ray  ignorance  in 
speaking,  and  my  folly  in  appointing  to  go 
again ;  as  my  speaking  made  a  general  stir 
through  that  part  of  the  town,  and  people  iu 
02 


163 


LIFE    OF 


general  were  calculating  to  go  to  the  next 


meeting. 


When  the  day  came,  I  went  according  to 
appointment,  and  almost  the  whole  city  came 
together  to  hear  what  the  stripling  had  to  say. 
My  mind  was  very  free  while  speaking  upon 
the  gospel  of  Christ;  I  spake  forenoon  and 
afternoon  upon  one  text.  Many  were  led  to 
say,  "Whence  hath  this  man  these  things  ?  n 
I  now  believe  the  Lord  stood  by  me,  and  that 
his  spirit  helped  me.  The  singular  freedom  I 
then  enjoyed,  encouraged  me  to  appoint  anoth- 
er meeting  at  the  same  place,  which  I  attended 
and  enjoyed  some  comfortable  evidence  that 
the  Lord  had  called  me  to  bear  witness  to  the 
truth.  Soon  after  this,  the  church  to  which  I 
belonged,  who  met  in  the  north  part  of  the 
town,  requested  me  to  meet  with  them  ;  which 
request  I  complied  with.  At  the  time  of  my 
appointment,  a  young  man  from  Strafford,  "Vt. 
came  to  preach  part  of  the  day.  He  began 
the  forenoon  meeting,  and  read  for  his  text 
John,  iii.  17,  "  For  God  sent  not  his  son  into 
the  world  to  condemn  the  world  ;  but  that  the 
world  through  him  might  be  saved"  His 
mind  was  much  embarrassed,  and  after  speak- 
ing about  twenty -five  or  thirty  minutes,  he 
sat  down,  being  unable  to  go  through  with 
the  subject  contained  in  the  text.  It  appear- 
ed to  me  duty  to  speak  a  few  words  to  the 
people,  upon  "the  text,  which  they  attentively 
heard,  and  after  prayer  the  meeting  was  clos- 
ed. In  the  afternoon,  I  endeavored  to 
the  meaning  of  what  is  written  in  PaalmcxUv. 


EL1AS    SMITH.  163 

d5.  Whether  justice  was  done  to  the  subject 
or  not,  many  rejoiced  while  hearing,  and  the 
church  appeared  fully  convinced  that  the  Lord 
had  called  me  to  preach  his  gospel.  One 
brother,  by  the  name  of  Cady,  came  to  me 
and  taking  me  by  the  hand,  with  tears  in  hia 
eyes,  said, 

"  Go  preach  my  gospel  saith  the  Lord, 
Bid  the  -whole  world  my  grace  receive  9 
Me  dhall  be  sav'd  that  keeps  my  word. 
He  shall  be  damn'd  that  tvojit  believe" 

He  encouraged  me  to  go  on,  saying,  God 
would  surely  help  me  in  such  a  glorious  work. 

Soon  after  this,  the  church  approbated  me> 
and  gave  me  a  recommendation,  as  one  whom 
they  believed  was  called  of  God.  to  preach 
his  Son  among  the  Gentiles.  These  things 
sometimes  encouraged  me  to  speak  in  public, 
though  the  greater  part  of  the  time,  excepting 
while  speaking,  my  mind  was  greatly  de- 
pressed, as  it  appeared  to  me  impossible  for 
one  of  my  natural,  spiritual  and  acquired  abii- 
.  to  be  called  to  such  an  important  work. 

Through  the  months  of  July,  August,  and 
the  fore  part  of  September,  -I  continued  my 
school,  and  attended  meeting  ^n  Sundays, 
and  generally  spake  once  or  twice.  Some 
time  in  September,  about  two  months  after 
speaking  the  first  time,  Elder  John  Peak,  in- 
I  me  to  go  with  him  to  what  was  then 
c:ill(>d  the  Coos  country  ;  as  he  was  going  to 
preach  in  several  towns  in  that  region.  Hav- 
vUaiwed  leave  to  stop  my  wiiool  for  three 


161  LIFE    OF 

weeks,  I  sat  out  with  hiin  and  his  wife.  Our 
first  meeting  was  at  the  house  of  a  brother 
by  the  name  of  Grow,  in  Hartland,  Vt.  who 
is  now  a  baptist  Preacher.  Here  I  endeav- 
ored to  preach  from  Psal.  xlvi.  4,  "There  is 
a  river  the  streams  whereof  shall  make  glad 
the  city  of  Go&P  From  the  appearance  of 
the  assembly,  the  people  were  better  satisfied 
than  I  was.  From  this  we  rode  to  Bradford, 
in  Vt.  Elder  Peak  preached  in  Piermont  the 
day  after.  From  Piermont  we  rode  to  Lan- 
daff,  and  visited  Elder  Stephen  Rice,  a  bap- 
tist preacher.  He  was  a  worthy,  good,  spiri- 
tual man,  and  one  whom  God  had  abundantly 
blest  to  the  conversion  of  many  in  that  part  of 
the  country.  The  winter  before  this,  there 
was  a  general  revival  in  that  town,  and  a  large 
number  of  old  and  young,  were  turned  to  the 
Lord;  many  were  baptised  by  Elder  Rice, 
and  at  the  time  we  visited  there,  were  very 
happy  in  the  Lord.  Soon  after  our  arrival 
there  a  meeting  was  appointed  for  me,  in  a 
barn,  as  there'  was  no  other  convenient  place 
to  meet.  A  considerable  number  of  people 
met,  for  such  a  new  country.  Among  the 
many  was  a  clergyman  by  the  name  of  Allen, 
who  went  by  the  name  of  one  handed  Allen, 
because  he  had  lost  one  hand.  He  afterwards 
settled  in  Wolfborough,  N.  H.  His  appear- 
ance in  the  meeting  greatly  agitated  my  mind 
for  a  few  minutes  ;  for  at  that  time  I  thought 
that  a  clergyman  knew  more  than  other  men, 
though  I  have  since  learned  that  they  are  in 
general  ignorant  of  the  things  of  the  spirit  ef 


EL1AS    SMITH.  165 

God.  Notwithstanding  the  tremor  I  was 
thrown  into  for  a  few  minutes,  my  mind  was 
free,  and  I  was  enabled  to  preach  the  gospel 
to  the  acceptance  of  those  who  heard.  Being 
so  young,  people  were  more  attentive  to  hear, 
than  though  the  same  things  had  been  said  by 
an  older  person. 

After  enjoying  a  pleasant  season  there,  in 
public  and  private  meetings,  we  returned  to 
Haverhill,  and  attended  meetings  there,  in 
Piermont  and  in  Bradford.  On  the  first  day 
of  the  week,  I  spake  to  the  people  in  Brad- 
ford ;  many  ^tended,  and  though  the   word 

a  sown  in  weakness,  a  blessing  attended  it. 
My  mind  was  particularly  led  to  speak  upon 
the  last  judgment ;  this  part  of  the  subject 
caused  great  solemnity  on  the  minds  of  many, 
and  several,  who  afterwards  related  what  God 
had  done  for  them,  dried  xheir  first  awakening 
from  that  meeting. 

From  that  meeting,  we  rode  to  Canaan,  in 
the  state  of  Newhnmpshire,  to  attend  an 
association  of  the  baptists,  held  there  the  last 
Wednesday  of  Sept.  1790.  Here  I  met  Elder 
Be  of  Marlow,  a  man  1  heard  preach 

in  Lyme,  Conn,  when  about  ten  years   old. 

Ider  Thomas  Baldwin  who  had  been  brought 
up  iiaan,  T\nd  had  that  summer  h, 

preaching  in  Boston,  attended  the  associa- 
:id  there  took  his  leave  of  the  people, 
he  was  soon  to  carry  Ills  family  to  Boston, 
no  more  to  reside  with  them.  Joshua  Smith, 
who  had  been  preaching  in  the  east  part  of 
Kewhainpshire,  attended  at  the  same  time. 


166  LIFE    OS 

Also,  two  sisters  came  with  him  from  New- 
market, who  were  sisters  to  her  who  after- 
wards was  my  first  wife.  From  Joshua 
Smith  and  the  sisters,  Hannah,  and  Deborah 
Burley,  I  first  heard  of  that  part  of  the  country 
and  of  the  reformation  in  that  region.  They 
first  gave  me  an  invitation  to  visit  the  country 
where  they  lived,  which  invitation  I  accepted, 
and  visited  them  the  next  spring.  The  meet- 
ing of  so  many  Elders  and  brethren  at  this 
association,  was  a  great  blessing  to  me,  and 
greatly  encouraged  me  to  improve  publicly, 
according  to  the  ability  given  me. 

After  the  association  closed,  I  returned 
home  to  Woodstock,  and  engaged  to  continue 
my  school  for  three  months ;  and  though  in 
my  journey,  I  had  felt  much  encouraged  to 
improve  in  public  speaking,  yet  in  a  short 
time  after  my  return,  I  felt  resolved  to  speak 
no  more  in  the  name  of  Christ;  not  from 
want  of  love  to  him  or  his  cause,  but  for  want 
of  what  I  considered  suitable  qualification  for 
such  an  important  work. 

After  giving  up  the  idea  of  preaching  any 
more,  I  became  very  unhappy  indeed,  and 
often  considered  myself  the  most  wretched 
being  on  earth.  It  often  ap^ared  to  me  that 
it  would  not  be  so  hard  to  submit  to  die,  as 
it  would  be  to  submit  to  be  a  preacher. 
Sometimes  I  thought  I  would  die  rather  than 
submit  to  such  to  employment. 

For  three  weeks  I  remained  silent,  though 
constantly  called  upon  from  different  direc- 
tions to  come  and  preach  Christ  to  them. 


ELIAS    SMITH.  167 

What  increased  my  trouble  was  this;  my 
mind  ran  freely  upon  the  scriptures,  so  that 
I  could  frequently  say,  "I  am  full  of  matter," 
and  « the  word  was  like  a  fire  shut  up  in  my 
bones,  and  I  wished  often  to  speak  that  I 
might  be  refreshed/'  At  this  time  I  attended 
Mr.  Chapeirs  meeting,  in  my  school  house. 
Sometimes,  after  the  people  w  ere  gone  out,  I 
had  a  strong  temptation  to  get  under  the 
house  and  there  stay  and  die ;  that  I  might 
be  out  of  that  misery,  endured  by  refusing  to 
speak  the  wTord  of  the  Lord. 

Often  I  spake  to  my  scholars,  upon  the 
scriptures,  but  fearing  they  would  call  it 
preaching,  I  would  stop  short  of  communica- 
ting what  was  in  my  mind.  Frequently,  when 
deep  sleep  was  upon  me,  I  would  be  in  an 
assembly  of  people,  preaching  the  gospel  to 
them.  When  I  awoke,  these  questions  would 
often  arise  :  Why  am  I  so  troubled  about  that 
I  ought  not  to  do  ?  Why  does  my  mind  run 
thus  upon  the  scriptures  ?  Why  am  I  preach- 
ing when  asleep,  and  silent  when  awake  ?  If 
it  is  right  for  me  to  remain  in  silence,  why 
•o  troubled  about  it  ? 

In  the  course  of  this  time,  Elder  William 
Grow,,  the  man  who  baptised  me,  came  to  my 
father's  house,  and  asked  my  mother  where 
Elias  was.  She  replied,  "He  is  keeping 
school."  "  How  long,"  said  he,  «  has  he  en- 
gaged for?"  She  replied,  "  for  three  months." 
He  said,  "He  will  not  keep  school  three 
weeks."  «  Why  ?"  said  my  mother.  «  Be- 
cause.," said  he,  "  he  has  no  business  there  ; 


163  Life  ©P 

lie  ought  to  be  preaching  ;  I  shall  pray  him 
out  of  the  school-house,  for  I  pray  for  him 
every  time  I  go  into  my  closet,  and  God  has 
promised  me  an  answer  to  prayer." 

At  this  time,  several  of  my  brethren  told 
me  it  was  wrong  for  me  to  hide  my  talent  in 
the  earth,  when  so  many  wished  to  hear  me. 
My  reply  was,  that  after  Peter  had  preached 
awhile,  he  left  preaching  and  followed  fishing, 
until  Jesus  came  and  commanded  him  the  se- 
cond time  :  and  that  if  ever  I  had  an  evi- 
dence of  being  commanded  again,  I  would 
go  and  preach,  otherwise  I  should  attend  to. 
my  school. 

Three  weeks  from  the  time  of  beginning 
jny  school,  and  giving  up  preaching  ;  on 
Monday  evening,  after  much  trouble  of  mind 
through  the  day,  I  dreamed  that  I  was  at  the 
house  of  my  uncle,  George  Ransom  ;  that 
while  sitting  at  his  window,  I  saw  a  man  rid- 
ing, and  leading  an  horse.  The  man  appear- 
ed to  me  to  be  Samuel  Stone,  of  Piermont, 
son  of  Major  Stone,  at  whose  house  I  had 
pleached,  when  on  the  journey  with  Elder 
Peak.  I  dreamed  that  he  came  to  the  house 
<i:id  enquired  for  me.  When  he  came  into 
the  room,  I  dreamed  of  asking  him  when  he 
came  from  home,  where  he  was  bound,  &c. 
He  told  me  that  he  came  after  me  to  go  to 
Bradford  to  preach  ;  that  my  preaching  was 
greatly  blest  there,  and  that  his  orders  *>vere 
not  to  return  without  me.  I  dreamed  of  tell- 
ing him  I  could  not  go,  as  I  had  engaged  a 
schoc»  :  and  further,  that  X  had  entirely  done 


ELIA8    SMITH.  160 

for  three  weeks.   Being  over-p 
liim  to  go  a  few  miles,  I  dreamed 
pi  me  along,  until  we  both  came  to 
the    Jju:  EJeacon  Rowel,  in  Bradford^ 

where  I  had  attended  meetings  before.  Also, 
in  my  dream  I  thought  many  people  were 
gathered,  expecting  me,  and  that  the  bible 
!  psalm  book  lay  on  the  table,  and  that 
one  of  the  brethren  observed,  that  they  were 
all  before  God  to  hear  what  he  had  to  say  to 
them  by  me.  I  dreamed  that  these  things 
greatly  affected  me,  and  that  while  endeavor- 
ing to  preach,  the  power  of  God  was  mai 
fested,  and  myself,  and  the  assembly,  were 
convinced  that  the  Lo*d  had  called  me  to 
preach  in  Bradford.  When  I  awoke  in  the 
morning,  my  dream  greatly  affected  me,  but  I 
concluded,  as  dreams  cam.  ;h  the  m 

tirade  of  business,  this  mu<  in  that 

ad  so  put  it  off  possible, 

that  time.     I 

day,  ti  the 

un- 
cle's h  m  came 
for  me,  an«: 

I  d  of  seein  an  who  came  a 

I  not  S': 
and   the    end  of  the   school  on  an 

■  rea  i 
] ;  but  I 

kfore  1 


lyO  LIFE    OF 

Stone,  of  whom  I  had  dreamed.  The  sight 
of  him  greatly  agitated  my  mind,  as  I  was 
very  certain  he  had  come  for  me,  though  no 
such  thing  was  mentioned  when  in  that 
part  of  the  country.  Myiirst  thought  was  to 
secret  myself;  but  I  concluded  to  meet  him 
boldly  ;  but  utterly  refuse  to  go  with  him. 
After  coming  in  and  setting  a  short  time,  I 
asked  him  if  he  was  going  a  journey/or  if  ha 
had  been  one.  He  replied  that  he  came  from 
home  the  day  before,  and  that  he  had  come 
for  me  to  go  to  Bradford,  and  had  orders  not 
to  return  without  me.  I  told  him  his  tarry 
would  in  my  view,  be  long  if  he  waited 
for  me.  He  then  related  to  me  the  situation 
of  the  people  in  that  part  of  the  country,  the 
effect  my  improvements  had  on  the  minds  of 
many  who  heard,  and  also  the  earnest  desire 
of  the  people  to  see  me  there  again..  My 
objection  to  his  proposal  was  that  I  had  given 
up  the  idea  of  preaching,  and  in  addition  to 
that  had  engaged  a  school,  which  I  could  not 
leave.  He  at  once  proposed  to  see  the  com- 
mittee, hoping  to  gain  their  consent  for  me  to 
be  gone  two  weeks.  He  saw  them,  and  they 
eonsented  upon  this  condition,  that  I  should 
go  and  visit  them,  and  if  I  thought  it  duty 
when  I  returned  to  continue  my  school,  to  do 
so,  if  not,  they  would  give  up  for  me  to 
leave  the  school  to  go  and  preach  the  everlast- 
ing gospel.  One  objection  was  now  removed, 
but  the  grca  est  was  in  myself.  I  had  done 
preaching  in  my  own  mind,  and  knew  not 
how  to  begin  again.      From   tks   time  Mr. 


ELIA9    SMITH.  l?t 

Stone  came  into  the  house,  until  I  consented 
to  go  with  him,  this  place  of  scripture  pressed 
hard  upon  me,  as  though  whispered  to  me  by  a 
kind  friend  :  Acts,  x.  20,  "  Go  with  them 
doubting  nothing,  for  I  have  sent  themP 
These  words  had  a  favorable  operation  upon 
my  mind,  and  encouraged  me  to  go  with  the 
man. 

In  the  evening  we  went  to  my  father's 
house,  and  laid  the  matter  before  my  father 
and  mother :  they  both  concluded  it  best  for 
me  to  go.  On  the  morrow  we  set  out  and 
went  as  far  as  Hartford,  about  ten  miles  from 
Woodstock.  My  mind  was  much  distressed 
on  account  of  what  was  before  me.  I  slept 
but  little  that  night.  In  the  morning  we 
went  on  our  way  for  Piermont.  We  stopped 
by  the  way  to  rest  our  horses,  and  in  that 
time,  in  opening  my  bible,  my  eyes  fixed  first 
on  these  words :  "  And  the  souls  of  the  people 
were  discouraged,  because  of  the  wa&P  This 
seemed  to  point  out  my  case.  While  pursu- 
ing my  journey  through  the  day,  I  wept  some, 
prayed  some,  talked  a  little,  wished  I  had 
either  continued  preaching,  or  refused  to  go 
with  the  man.  Just  as  the  sun  went  down, 
we  arrived  at  Major  Stone's  house  in  Pirr- 
inoni.  He  and  his  family  w  ere  heartily  glad 
to  %e  me,  and  did  every  thing  in  their  power 
to  cheer  my  drooping  spirits.  At  that  time 
man;,  things  arose  in  my  mind,  calculated  to 
trouble  me.  My  youth,  ignorance  of  letters, 
world,  the  scriptures,  and  the  work  of 
aching,  all    served  to   damp   my    mind. 


1/2  LIFE    OF 

Among  other  things,,  that  of  obtaining  a  living 
in  the  world  was  of  some  weight  ♦with  me. 
At  that  time  I  had  not  the  most  distant  thought 
of  ever  being  supported  as  a  preacher.  My 
former  calculation  was  to  preach  what  I  could, 
and  attend  to  my  school  for  a  living.  At 
this  time  I  was  cut  off  from  that.  As  I  sat 
musing  on  these  things,  and  considering  the 
difficulties  which  might  attend  me  as  a  stran- 
ger, and  far  from  my  father's  house,  I  opened 
a  bible  which  lay  on  the  table  near  where  I 
sat ;  the  first  words  I  looked  at  were  these. 
Matthew  xix.  29,  "  And  every  one  that  hath 
forsaken  houses,  or  brethren,  or  sisters,  or 
father,  or  mother,  or  wife,  or  children,  or 
lands  for  my  name's  sake,  shall  receive  an 
hundred  fold,  and  shall  inherit  everlasting 
life/*  As  I  had  been  taught  that  the  scrip- 
tures had  a  spiritual  meaning  besides  what 
they  said,  I  concluded  this  could  not  be  liter- 
ally true  ;  though  experience  taught  me  in  a 
few  years  that  Jesus  meant  as  he  said  when 
he  spake  this  to  his  disciples  ;  for  from  that 
day  to  this,  I  have  found  an  hundred  fold  in 
all  these  things  promised  to  the  followers  of 
the  Lamb.  There  is  no  other  business,  ex- 
cepting the  work  of  preaching  the  gospel,  that 
wilt  cause  a  man  to  be  treated  as  though  he 
was  in  his  own  house,  and  amo?>  lations. 

This  is  a  great  encouragement  to  th  ten 

of  the  gospel. 

I  arrived  at  Piermont,  on  Saturday.  The 
next  morning,  we  went  across  the  river,  to 
Bradford,  to  the  house  of  Deacon  Thor1 


£LIAS    SMITH.  173 

Rowel.  As  I  entered  the  door,  I  saw  the 
table,  bible/ and  psalm-book,  in  the  same 
place  where  I  dreamed  they  were.  This  struck 
my  mind  with  great  solemnity,  as  I  believed 
it  was  the  mind  of  God,  for  me  to  go  there  to 
preach.  As  I  entered  the  room,  a  joy  seem- 
ed to  be  diffused  through  the  assembly. 
Though  the  people  appeared  glad,  I  was  far 
from  rejoicing.  After  singing  and  praying, 
I  spake  about  half  an  hour,  from  Rom.  x.  15, 
€i  And  how  shall  they  preach  except  they  be 
sent  ?"  My  mind  was  led  to  speak  of  the 
great  and  important  work  of  preaching,  and 
the  necessity  of  being  sent  of  God,  to  do  the 
work  acceptably  to  God,  and  profitable  to 
men.  Nothing  uncommon  appeared  in  the 
assembly  at  that  time,  and  my  doubts  as  to 
the  duty  of  preaching,  were  not  in  the  least 
removed. 

In  the  afternoon,  I  spake  upon  Heb.  xiii. 

2,  "  Be  not  forgetful  to  entertain  strangers  : 
in  the  following  manner  :  1.  Described  the 
strangers.  3.  Considered  the  duty  enjoined, 
which  was  to  entertain  them.  In  speaking 
upon  the  first  particular,  four  kinds  of  stran- 
gers were  mentioned.  1.  Such  as  are  in  a 
country  or  place  Where  they  are  unknown  by 
the  inhabitants,  whom  they  know  not.  "  Art 
thou  only  a  stranger  ia  Jerusalem,  and  hast 
not  known  the  things  that  are  come  to  pass 
there  in  these  days."  Luke  xxiv.  18.  2. 
Natural  men.  Eph.  ii.  19,  "Now  therefore 
ye  are  no   more  strangers  and  foreigners." 

3.  Saints.     1  Peter,  ii.  11,  «  Dearly  beloved, 

P2 


174  LIFE    OF 

I  beseech  you  as  strangers  ^nd  pilgrims/5 
4.  Jesus  Christ.  Matth.  xxv.  35,  "  I  was 
a  stranger,  and  ye  took  me  in."  In  speaking 
upon  the  second  particular,  I  endeavored,  ac- 
cording to  my  ability,  to  shew  the  duty  men 
owed  to  all  these  strangers.  Although  I  do 
not  now  think  the  author  of  the  text  had 
reference  to  all  these  strangers,  yet  they  are 
all  mentioned  in  the  scriptures  ;  and  a  preach- 
er is  always  safe  in  preaching  more  than  is  in 
his  text,  if  he  does  not  preach  more  than  is 
noted  in  the  scriptures  of  truth.  How  many 
there  are  who  not  only  tell  more  than  is  in 
their  text,  but  more  than  is  in  the  bible,  and 
even  contradict  plain  declaration's,  and  wrest 
the  scriptures  to  their  own  destruction ;  hand- 
ling the  word  of  God  deceitfully  ! 

In  that  meeting  my  mind  was  uncommonly 
enlarged,  to  my  own  astonishment,  and  of 
many  who  heard  the  word.  There  was  such 
a  flowing  river,  that  I  continued  two  hours  in 
speaking,  and  my  speech  dropped  upon  them, 
and  they  waited  for  it,  as  for  the  rain.  I 
was  convinced  then  that  nothing  but  the  power 
of  the  spirit  of  God,  could  enable  me  to  speak 
in  such  a  manner.  Viewing  my  own  igno- 
rance, I  could  say  with  Daniel,  that  there  was 
nothing  in  me  more  than  any  man  living  ;  but 
there  is  a  God  in  heaven  that  revealeth 
secrets.  The  assembly  in  general,  were  to 
appearance  moved,  as  the  trees  are  moved  by 
the  wind.  Several  were  made  sensible  of 
their  dangerous  situation  as  strangers  to  God, 
ana  within  a  few  weeks,  became,  by  faith  in 


ELIA9    SMlftf.  175 

Christ,  fellow  citizens  with  the  saints,  and  of 
the  household  of  God. 

The  enlargement  of  mind,freedom  of  thought, 
ease  in  communicating,  and  power  of  truth 
which  was  then  felt  by  me  and  many  others, 
served  at  that  time  to  remove  rill  my  doubts 
respecting  being  called  of  God  to  preach  the 
gospel  of  Christ.  Through  the  following 
week  my  mind  was  calm,  and  happy  among 
the  children  of  God,  with  whom  I  often  met. 
The  next  first  day,  I  attended  a  meeting  at 
Piermont,and  the  week  following  returned  to 
Woodstock,  called  my  scholars  together,  and 
bid  them  an  affectionate  and  final  farewell  a» 
their  school-master,  expecting  never  more  to 
meet  them.  This  parting  was  trying  to 
me,  and  grievous  to  the  children  and  their 
parents.  I  then  took  my  leave  of  parents, 
brethren,  sisters,  friends,  house  and  land,  and 
the  town  where  I  had  endured  and  enjoyed 
more  than  in  any  other  place  on  earth ;  and 
from  that  day  to  this,  November  13,  1815,  it 
has  never  been  an  home  to  me.  The  day  of 
leaving  my  father's  house  for  Christ's  sake,  to 
preach  his  gospel,  Math  the  promise  of  an 
hundred  fold  in  this  world,  and  life  everlast- 
ing hereafter,  I  sung  them  the  following 
hymn : 

I  hear  the  gospel's  joyful  sound, 

An  organ  I  shall  be, 
For  to  sound  forth  redeeming  love, 

And  sinners'  -nisery. 

My  due  affections  I'll  forsake, 
My  parents  a^d  their  house  ; 


176  LIFE   OF 

And  to  the  wilderness  betake, 
To  pay  the  Lord  my  vows. 

Honored  parents  fare  you  well, 

My  Jesus  doth  me  call ; 
I  leave  you  here  with  God  until 

I  meet  you  once  for  all. 

Now  through  the  wilderness  I'll  run, 

Preaching  the  gospel  free  ; 
O,  be  not  anxious  for  your  son, 

The  Lord  will  comfort  me. 

And- I'll  forsake  my  chiefest  mates, 

Which  nature  doth  afford  ; 
And  wear  the  shield  into  the  field, 

To  wait  upon  the  Lord. 

Afid  if  through  preaching  I  should  gain, 

True  subjects  to  my  Lord  ; 
'T^vill  more  than  recompense  my  pain, 

To  see  them  love  his  word. 

My  soul  doth  wish  Mount  Zion  well, 

Whate'er  becomes  of  me  ; 
There  my  best  friends  and  kindred  dwell, 

And  there  I  long  to  be. 

This  was  an  affecting  parting  to  us  all,  as  we 
never  expected  again  to  live  together  on  earth, 
leaving  my  father's  house,  and  all  on  earth 
I  held  dear,  caused  a  great  solemnity  on  my 
mind  ;  but  believing  God  had  commanded  me 
thus  to  do,  I  passed  on  my  way  with  a  solemn 
cheerfulness  ;  hoping  to  turn  many  to  right- 
eousness, and  at  last  to  shine  as  the  brightness 
of  the  firmament,  and  as  the  stars  forever. 

The  second  day  after  leaving  my  father's 
feou^;  I  arrived  at  Maj.  Stoned;  in  Piermont^ 


BE1  i  if.  177 

1  \\  as  heartily  received  as  a  messenger 
of  peace,  whom   they   believed   was  sent  to 
i tion,  and  to  say  unto  Zion,  "Thy 
Hud  reigneth." 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

At  this  time  I  was  very  poor,  and  destitute 
of  every  thing  excepting  one  coarse  suit  of 
clothes,  which  I  wore  every  day.  My  hat 
was  quite  old,  my  coat  of  serge  thin,  and 
my  outside  garment  quite  coarse  and  consid- 
erably worn.  I  had  neither  horse,  saddle, 
or  bridle  ;  nor  one  cent  of  money  on  earth  to 
call  my  own.  I  went  out  without  either  scrip 
or  purse  ;  had  I  owned  them,  they  would 
have  been  useless.  Though  I  had  something 
to  leave,  there  was  nothing  for  ine  to  io' 
for  I  owned  nothing  in  tL  lug 

clothes,  a  bible.  OsterwaUPa  fheoio: 
Edwards  history  of  r  '  a  few 

mall  books  :  and  m~ 

i  reading5tra 

no  time  to  \  uy 

thing  for  myself*     Many  young  preael 

e  work,  sometimes 
lieu  they  own  an  horse,  and  m- 
which  I  never  thought  of  p< 

h 


':-» 


r  spending  a  few  weeks  in  Picrmpnt, 
nd,  and  Haverhill,  I  journeyed  (Ra  a 
cd  horse  to  Bath,  Landaff,  and  Nje 


178  tIFE    OP 

Concord,  and  endeavored  to  preach  Christ 
among  the  people,  according  to  the  best  of  my 
ability.  In  Lajudaff,  and  the  region  round 
about,  there  had  been  a  glorious  revival  of 
religion,  under  the  preaching  of  Elder 
Stephen  Jtoyce,  a  man  whom  God  delighted 
lo  honor.  After  a  few  days,  I  returned  to 
Haverhill,  and  tarried  till  some  time  in  De- 
cember. Having  been  gone  from  my  fathers 
house  about  six  or  seven  weeks,  I  felt  a  strong 
desire  to  visit  them.  One  of  the  brethren, 
John  Page,  who  not  resides  at  Haverhill 
corner,  lent  me  his  horse,  and  Col.  Huchinsf 
gave  me  half  a  crown,  which  is  55  cents. 
This  was  the  first  money  I  ever  received  as 
a  preacher,  and  it  was  then  more  to  me  than 
55  dollars  would  now  be.  With  this  sum  I 
set  out  for  Woodstock.  The  first  day  1 
preached  at  William  Dana' 9  house,  in  Leba- 
non :  and  the  second  day  arrived  at  my 
fathers  house.  The  distance  from  Haverhill 
to  Woodstock  is  about  fifty  miles,  which  took 
me  always  two  days  to  ride. 

I  was  gone  from  Piermont  [about  two 
weeks  ;  and  in  that  time,  the  enemies  of  ths 
cross  of  Christ,  raised  their  first  evil  reports 
about  me.  It  was  said  that  a  certain  Doctor 
S.  reported  that  some  very  reproachful  cir- 
cumstances called  me  back  to  Woodstock.  It 
was  also  reported  that  brother  Page  had  lost 
his  horse,  and  that  his  young  minister  had 
played  him  a  trick,  &c, 

I   returned   from  Woodstock  at  the   tinxi 
appointed,  and  was  for  some  time  much  cr 

N 


KLIAS    SMITH.  179 

down,  on  account  of  the  evil  reports  in  circu- 
lation about  me.  This  was  what  I  had  not 
calculated  upon  then.  I  then  thought  it  trial 
enough  to  leave  all  to  preach,  without  having 
such  malicious  tie*  circulated  about  me.  Ex- 
pcrience  soon  taught  me  ihe  truth  of  this  say- 
iug :  Phil.  i.  29,  ^  For  unto  you  it  is  given 
in  the  behalf  of  Christ,  nut  a  -jly  to  believe  on 
his  name,  but  also  to  suffer  for  his  sake." 
From  that  day  to  this,  twenty-five  years, 
wicked  men  have  been  raging  waves,  foaming 
out  their  own  shame  ;  but  having  [heir  boui  as 
get,  they  have  proceeded  no  further.  They 
go  no  further  than  high  water  mark,  break 
against  the  rock,  and  retire. 

In  the  months  of  January,  February  and 
March,  I  was  chiefly  employed  in  reading 
and  committing  the  new-testament  to  memory  ; 
with  preaching  about  three  or  four  times  each 
week.  Committing  that  book  to  memory,  was 
a  weariness  to  the  ilesh.  I  read  other  books 
some,  was  favored  with  an  old  aud  imperfect 
concordance,  written  by  one  Gouge,  in  the 
sixteenth  or  seventeenth  century.  This,  with 
Canne's  quotation  bible,  helped  me  to  com- 
pare the  scriptures  together,  and  to  understand 
the  harmony  there  is  between  the  prbpheeiee 
and  their  accomplishment  recorded  in  the 
new-testament. 

By  the  middle  of  April,  I  had  committed 
to  memory  almost  every  chapter,  from  the 
first  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Romans,  to  the  last 
chapter  of  Revelation  ;  and  by  being  almost 
constantly  employed  for  twenty-five  years  in 


iSO  LIFE    01 

reading,  writing,  or  preaching  the  new-testa- 
ment, the  greater  part  remains  fresh  in  memo- 
ry to  this  day. 

In  the  course  of  this  winter,  Elders  Aaron 
Leland,  from  Chester,  Tt.  and  Joseph  Call, 
from  Woodstock,  visited  me.  Eider  Leland 
was  then  the  most  popular  preacher,  among 
the  baptists  in  that  part  of  the  country.  His 
preaching  had  an  encouraging  effect  on  the 
people,  and  it  much  discouraged  me.  I  look- 
ed to  myself,  when  he  was  preaching  as  tho 
ten  spies  did,  when  thev  stood  before  the  sons 
of  Anack;  like  grasshoppers.  His  preaching 
preached  away  my  knowledge,  voice  and  all ; 
and  while  hearing  him,  I  thought  it  would 
never  do  to  try  again. 

At  first  I  had  no  idea  of  systems  of  doc- 
trine, as  they  are  called.  My  work  was  like 
that  of  Michael,  to  shew  the  people  that  which 
was  noted  in  the  scriptures  of  truth.  Of  course 
I  preached  the  gospel  freely,  to  all  who  came 
to  hear.  Elder  Leland  was  the  first  man 
who  told  me  the  necessity  of  a  system  of  doc- 
trine ;  which  afterwards  was  so  great  a  tor- 
ment to  me.  Once,  in  M 
upon  Matth.  xxi.  <>£,  "Jtnd  'all 

fa:  one,  sh<  on 

tchomscever  it  shall  fall. 
to  poiejler."     Miv 
with  him  to  Haverhill, 
have  a  system  of  doctrii 
now.     You  will  find  1 
ftGctrinatgd-^      I  tnVl 
theology  3"  this 


2LIAS    SMITH.  ISt 

cellent  thing.  This  book  I  6nce  committed 
to  memory,  and  it  gave  me  the  same  knowl- 
edge of  the  scriptures,  that  the  moon  does  of 
the  light  of  the  sun.  If  the  sun  makes  the 
moon  shine,  surely  the  sun  in  sight,  wHl 
give  more  light,  than  when  out  of  sight  it 
shines  on  the  moon.  This  is  the  most  I  ever 
received  from  bodies  and  systems  of  divinity. 
What  he  said,  took  such  hold  of  me,  that  it 
wras  laid  up  in  my  memory,  and  attended  to 
afterwards,  with  many  grievous  consequences, 
which  shall  be  noticed  hereafter. 

Elder  Joseph  Call,  was  what  was  called 
there,  a  small  preacher,  though  a  good  man. 
His  preaching  was  blest  to  the  comforting  of 
many,  as  he  came  to  Haverhill  about  the 
time  the  congregationalists  separated  from  the 
baptists,  and  held  their  evening  meetings  in 
another  house ;  and  in  addition  to  this,  acted 
towards  the  baptists  as  persecutors  sometimes 
act.  At  the  first  meeting  after  the  separation, 
Elder  Call  preached  at  John  Page's  house, 
from  these  words  :  Hebrews,  x.  36.  ".For ye 
have  need  of  patience,  that,  after  ye  have  done 
the  will  of  God)  ye  might  receive  the  vror-iiz"" 

Some  time  in  the  winter,  a  man  came  tkere 
from  Hawk,  N.  H.  who  belonged  to  the 
baptist  church  in  Brentwood,  where  Dr. 
Samuel  Shepard  lived  and  preached.  He 
gave  me  some  account  of  the  doctor,  an .'!  fhfe 
baptist  brethren  in  that  part  of  the  com*, 
This  brother  spake  some  in  public,  and  in 
Bradford  delivered  a  curious  discourse  upon 
tho  «  Tree  of  life,"  mentioned  iu  llevelatiou 


48&  LIFE   #F 

xxii.  2,  which  bore  twelve  manner  of  fruits, 
and  yielded  her  fruit  every  month.  As  I  then 
understood  him,  the  tree  meant  Christ ;  and 
he  said  the  tree  had  three  roots  to  it,  which 
were  the  three  persons  in  the  trinity.  The 
tree  and  its  branches  being  the  humanity  of 
Christ,  which  grew  from  the  three  roots.  He 
said  it  was  rooted  in  heaven  and  grew  down- 
wards, so  that  the  boughs  reached  to  the  earth. 
The  tree  then  appeared  to  me,  wrong  end 
upward,  and  so  it  looks  now.  Such  preach- 
ing in  that  day  was  more  acceptable  than 
true.  The  brother  meant  well,  though  I  do 
not  believe  such  a  tree  ever  existed,  excepting 
in  the  imagination  of  such  as  are  in  a  mistake. 
Among  others  who  visited  me  that  winter, 
was  my  mother,  Ler  sister,  and  my  uncle,  (who 
caused  me  to  be  sprinkled,)  and  his  wife. 
They  tarried  one  night  where  I  lived,  and 
went  to  Lyman  to  visit  some  relations. 
While  they  were  there,  I  had  a  meeting  at  the 
house  of -Samuel  Way,  who  married  a  cousin 
of  mine.  My  text  was  this  :  Hebrews  ii.  3, 
"  How  shall  we  escape,  if  we  neglect  so  great 
salvation  ?"  The  discourse  upon  the  text  was 
according  to  the  best  of  my  knowledge;  but 
how  near  to  the  scriptures  is  not  possible  for 
me  to  tell.  One  thing  I  remember  which  was 
this  5  "  that  men  would  be  lost,  if  they  neglect- 
ed the  great  salvation."  After  the  people 
were  gone,  my  uncle  in  the  presence  of  the 
family,  and  the  friends  with  us,  asked  me  this 
question.  "On  what  does  the  salvation  of 
the  sianer  turn? "  I  could  not  then  possibly 


BLIAS    SMITH.  183 

give  hiin  an  answer  that  would  satisfy  myself, 
and  wished  him  to  answer  his  own  question. 
He  observed,  that  it  was  true  that  men  were 
commanded  to  repent  and  believe  the  gospel, 
and  that  they  would    be  damned  if  they  did 
not;  and    that   their   condemnation  was    for 
their  wickedness;    and  it  was    said  if  they 
believed  they  should  be  saved ;  yet  said  he, 
this  is  not  the  turning  point:  for  all  do  reject 
the  gospel,  and  make  light  of  it.  Therefore  the 
turning  point  of   a   sinner's  salvation  is  this  ; 
"The electing  love  of  God.     All  refuse,  and 
gome  shall  receive.     This   makes  it,  I  will, 
and  you  shall.     If  it  was  not   for  sovereign 
grace,  and   the  compelling  power  of  God,  no 
one  would  be  saved. "      Not   knowing    any 
better  then,  I  supposed  he  was  correct  and 
my   silence   was    consenting    to   his    death 
doctrine  for  that  time. 

Through  that  winter,  I  had  some  happy 
refreshing  seasons,  and  some  trying  scenes  to 
pass  through.  Several,  in  the  course  of  the 
winter,  were  happily  converted,  and  rejoiced 
in  hope  of  the  glory  of  God.  The  greatest 
difficulties  I  had  to  encounter  were  within 
mvself.  Sometimes  my  mind  would  be  so 
shut  up,  that  it  seemed  impossible  for  me 
ever  to  speak  publicly  again ;  though  I  never 
met  an  assembly,  without  having  something 
to  say  to  them  from  the  scriptures  of  truth. 
The  most  trying  thing  I  endured,  was  that 
concerning  my  being  born  again.  Some  time 
in  March,  my  mind  was  greatly  troubled, 
fearing  I  was  never  born  of  the  spirit ;  though 


l&B  LIFE   OP 

I  had  before  this  been  favored  with  such 
great  and  glorious  manifestations  of  the  spirit 
of  God. 

Such  was  the  state  of  my  inind  in  the  fore 
jpart  of  \pril,  that  for  three  weeks,  I  did  not 
pretend  to  preach,  and  concluded  never  to 
speak  in  public  again,  until  I  had  an  evidence 
of  being  born  of  the  spirit.  Though  I  had 
ever  remembered  the  time,  when  the  glory  of 
God  shone  into  my  heart,  yet  I  was  often 
afraid,  that  was  not  what  the  bible  called 
regeneration.  For  two  or  three  weeks,  I 
spent  the  greater  part  of  my  time  in  the  fields 
or  groves,  in  reading,  praying,  and  examin- 
ing whether  I  was  in  the  faith  or  not ;  being 
determined  to  be  satisfied  for  myself  before  I 
ever  preached  again.  By  comparing  what 
Was  made  manifest  to  me,  what  evidence  Avas 
in  myself,  and  the  exercises  of  my  mind, 
with  what  was  said  upon  these  things  in  the 
scriptures,  it  became  a  settled  fact  with  me, 
that  I  had  passed  from  death  to  life.  Being 
thus  established  upon  a  point,  which  to  me 
appeared  of  all  the  most  important  for  a 
preacher  of  the  gospel,  I  took  fresh  courage 
to  preach  that  gospel  which  had  been  to  me 
the  power  of  God  unto  salvation. 


EL1AS    SMITH.  1S5 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

Close  application  to  btadj  through  the 
whiter,  speaking  often  which  fatigued  me 
considerably,  with  trouble  of  mind,  brought 
me  very  low,  and  many  of  my  friends  were 
much  alarmed,  fearing  I  should  go  into  a 
decline.  Consulting  for  my  welfare,  and 
usefulness,  they  concluded  it  best  for  me  to 
journey  to  the  east  of  Newhamp*hire ; 
thinking  that  a  relaxation  from  study,  the 
Sea  air,  change  of  climate,  kc.  might  be 
beneficial. 

The  brethren  in  Bradford,  Piermont^  and 
Haverhill,  contributed  seven  dollars  and  fifty 
cents,  to  bear  my  expence  on  the  journey. 
The  fifty-five  cents,  given  me  in  November 
before,  I  kept  till  then,  having  no  occasion 
to  spend  it  until  this  journey.  The  people 
in  that  part  of  the  country,  had  given  me  so 
much  besides,  as  enabled  me  to  purchace  a 
watch,  pair  of  boots,  and  some  other  small 
articles  of  clotlrins;.  Brother  John  Pa^e 
gave  me  the  journey  of  a  poor  cross  horse, 
which  answered  well  for  me.  In  the  month 
of  April,  1791,  when  in  my  twenty-second 
year,  I  set  out  from  Haverhill  corner,  for  the 
eastern  part  of  Newhamp  shire  :  having  the 
September  before,  seen  some  young  people 
from  Newmarket  who  gave  me  an  invitation 
to  visit  that  part  of  the  couutry. 

My  journey  then  seemed  some  like  that  of 
Jacob's,  when  he  sat  ouialhm 


186  LIFE   Of 

My  calculation  was,  to  make  a  short  visit  in 
that  part  of  the  country ;  see  the  brethren, 
and  return  back  to  preach  in  Bradford,  Ha- 
verhill, and  the  regions  around.  In  Brad- 
ford the  baptists  were  framing  a  meeting- 
house, which  they  meant  to  have  ready  for 
me  to  preach  in  at  my  return.  The  house 
stands  unfinished  to  this  day.  The  first  day 
of  leaving  Haverhill,  I  rode  to  Jiumney, 
about  twenty  miles  from  Haverhill.  Here 
lived  Elder  Cotton  Hanes,  a  baptist  preacher, 
with  whom  I  tarried  that  night.  He  received 
me  courteously,  and  being  well  acquainted 
with  the  eastern  part  of  Newhampshire,  gave 
me  directions  in  writing,  as  to  the  road  to 
Newmarket,  and  where  to  find  brethren  to 
put  up  with  on  the  way.  The  second  day, 
Friday,  I  rode  to  Salisbury,  N".  H.  and  put 
up  with  Abel  Morrill.  His  wife  was  a 
member  of  the  baptist  church  in  Brentwood. 
Beins;  recommended  to  them  bv  Elder  Hanes, 
they  kindly  received  me,  and  refreshed  me 
according  to  my  needs,  and  wished  me  to 
stop  and  preach  with  them  ;  but  my  mind 
was  to  go  farther.  The  next  day  I  rode  to 
Allenstown,  and  put  up  on  Saturday  evening 
at  a  tavern,  kept  by  Ede  Hall  Burgin,  a 
baptist  brother.  In  Concord,  ten  miles  from 
Allenstown,  as  I  waited  for  the  boat  to  cross 
the  Merrimack  river,  a  clergyman  from 
Pembroke,  near  Concord,  by  the  name  of 
Zacheus  Colby,  came  across  Hie  river  to  the 
side  where  I  was  wai.  <sg.  As  he  came  o 
of  the  boatj   he  looked  earnestly  at  mc  v,nd 


ELIAS    SMITH.  187 

reaid,  "Sir,  I  thought  whether  you  were  not  a 
clergyman  ;  I  beg  leave  to  ask."  My  only 
reply  was,  no. 

A  clergyman  at  that  time,  was  almost  as 
great  an  abomination  to  a  baptist  minister,  as 
a  shepherd  was  to  the  Egyptians  in  the  days 
of    Jacob.      He   said   no  more,  but   passed 
along,  and  I  crossed  the  river,  pleased  to  have 
no  more  to  do  with  a  clergyman  besides  say- 
ing, no.     At  that  time,  I  was  uncommonly 
shy  of  a  clergyman  ;  for  the  old  baptist  min- 
isters had  told  me  some  unfavorable  things 
about  them.     They  told  me  that  when  I  saw 
a   man  dressed  in  black,  called  reverend  ; 
reading  his  notes  :  having  a  salary  ;  taking 
property  from  others  by  force  ;  and  despising: 
such  as  travelled  and  preached,  &c.  that  such 
were  the  demVs  ministers,  and  ought  to  be 
avoided.     This  I  believed,  and  slmned  them, 
and  when  I  lived  to  see  the  baptist  minister** 
making  the  same  appearance  ;  wearing  the 
same  titles  ;  using  notes  ;  and  taking  a  sala- 
ry, that  was  forced  from  the  people  ;  the  in- 
-  auctions  they  had  %given  me,  caused  me  to 
leave  them  and  keep  separate  as  I  had  from 
the   clergy  before  them.     Reflecting  on  the 
character  of  the  clergy,  I  passed  on  to  Aliens- 
town.      Though  Elder  Hanes  had  directed 
me  to  put  up  with  brother  Burgin,  1  called  at 
ins  house  as  a  stranger,  and  asked  for  enter- 
tainment   till  Monday,  which   was    readily 
nited.     My  horse  was  taken  care  of,  and 
by  my  request  ;    ^ood  supper  provided  for 


1SS  LIFE    OF 

iae.  I  began  no  conversation  with  the  fami- 
ly, nor  they  with  me  for  some  time. 

Not  long  after  supper,  there  came  in  a  ve- 
ry large,  important  looking  man,  who  with  an 
air  of  importance  walked  to  the  table,  laid 
down  his  three  cornered  hat,  gloves  and  whip, 
and  walked  towards  the  fire  ;  a  chair  being 
handed  him,  he  sat  down.  Soon  after  he  sat 
down,  Hall  Bnrgin,  son  of  Ede  Kail  Bur- 
gia,  came  in,  and  speaking,  called  him  Mr. 
Hemingion.  I  soon  found  he  was  a  clergy- 
man from  Caadia,  the  town  east  of  Aliens- 
town  :  that  he  was  going  to  supply  Mr.  Col- 
by's place  at  Pembroke,  and  that  another  cler- 
gyman was  to  occupy  his  pulpit  the  next  day. 
Seeing  two  clergymen  in  so  short  a  time,  I 
concluded  they  must  be  very  plenty  in  that 
part  of  the  country,  if  they  were  not  useful. 
Living  in  Vermont,  a  climate  not  suited  to 
their  constiiutiGri,  (ignorance,  bondage,  op- 
pression and  fleecing,)  I  had  never  seen  but  a 
few  of  them.  As  it  was  dark,  and  five  miles 
from  Pembroke,  Hall  Burgin  asked  him  to 
tarry  till  morning,  his  father  being  absent  ; 
this  invitation  the  clergyman  readily  accepted, 
took  off  his  great  coat,  and  sat  down  with  the 
company. 

As  this  was  almost  the  first  time  of  my  be- 
ing in  the  company  of  a  clergyman,  I  was 
determined,  if  possible,  to  find  out  what  kind 
of  a  being  a  clergyman  was.  He  had  not 
set  long  before  he  began  to  talk  with  Nancy, 
a  daughter  of  brother  Burgin.  His  first  con- 
versation was  about  Joshua  Smith;  a  ya 


BLIAS    SMITH.  18§ 

man  who  had  the  year  before  been  remarka- 
bly blest  in  preaching  in  that  part  of  the  coun- 
try. Next  he  mentioned  Dr,  Shepard,  a  bap- 
tist minister,  who  had  preached  and  baptised 
in  that  part  of  the  country.  The  whole  fam-. 
ily  were  attached  to  him,  and  Nancy  with  her 
parents  and*  one  brother  and  sister,  were 
members  of  the  church  where  he  preached. 
His  opposition  to  the  Doctor  was  displeasing 
to  the  whole  family,  and  caused  Nancy  and 
others  of  the  family  to  raise  some  weighty 
arguments  in  his  favor.  He  appeared  to  pos- 
sess a  bitter  spirit  against  the  Doctor,  and  the 
whole  denomination  of  the  baptists. 

His  next  subject  was  baptism.  He  mad© 
many  objections  against  baptism  as  described 
in  the  new-testament,  which  Nancy  answered 
in  a  scriptural  manner.  He  said  considera- 
ble against  new-testament  baptism,  and  in  fa- 
vor of  sprinkling  children.  She  urged  him 
to  produce  a  command  or  example  from  the 
new-testament,  that  an  infant  was  ever  sprink- 
led or  baptised.  This  he  could  not  do  ;  but 
undertook  to  prove  it  from  circumcision.  He 
stated  something  like  this  :  "  Abraham  was 
a  believer  and  circumcised  his  children  :  be- 
lievers are  commanded  to  do  as  Abraham  did  ; 
therefore  believers  ought  to  have  their  chil- 
dren baptised,  after  the  example  of  Abraham 
who  circumcised  his  children."  This  kind 
of  false  argument  looked  so  glaring  to  me, 
that  I  thought  it  duty  to  let  him  and  the  fami- 
ly know  I  was  awake,  and  iustantly  raised 
up  my  head  from  my  arm,  and  stated  to  Mr. 


Remington  that  his  proposition*  respecting 
infant  baptism  Mere  false,  and  that  they  could 
not  be  supported  by  the  scriptures,  nor  the 
rules  of  logic.  He  was  not  a  little  moved  at 
such  an  attack  from  one  whom  he  thought  had 
been  asleep  during  the  time  of  his  discourse 
with  Nancy.  My  speech  with  him  drew  the 
attention  of  the  family  to  hear  what  the  stran- 
ger had  to  say  upon  the  subject  My  mind 
was  prepared  to  converse  with  him,  having 
previously  heard  his  arguments,  and  found 
him  not  of  all  the  most  accomplished,  as  to 
natural,  acquired,  or  spiritual  abilities. 

He  again  insisted  on  the  correctness  of  his 
statements,  as  to  Abraham  and  circumcision. 
I  then  said,  "  Sir,  you  make  false  sylogisni." 
He  said,  U  Do  you  understand  logic  ?"  I 
said,  "My  understanding  of  it  is  such  as  to 
know  when  a  man  make3  false  sylogisms." 
He  paused  a  little  at  this.  I  then  said,  "  Sir 
I  can  better  prove  from  plain  scriptures  put 
together,  that  you  ought  immediately  to  hang 
yourself,  than  you  have  proved  infant  bap- 
tism from  circumcision."  Said  he,  "  You 
cannot  do  this,  if  you  can  I  will  give  up."  I 
then  stated  this  to  him  :  "  And  cast  down  the 
pieces  of  silver  in  the  temple,  and  departed, 
and  went  and  hanged  himself."  "  Is  this 
scripture  ?"  "  Yes,"  said  he.  "  Go  thou 
and  do  likewise."  "  Is  this  scripture  ?" 
"  Yes,"  replied  he.  "  What  thou  doest,  do 
quickly."  "Well,"  said  he,  "  you  have 
made  it  out."  I  then  said,  "  Do  you  from  this 
relieve  you  ought  to  hang  yourseif  ?"     He 


ELIAS    SMITH.  191 

*aid,  "No  I  do  not."  My  reply  was,  "  Neith- 
er do  I  believe  in  infant  sprinkling  from  your 
manner  of  proving  it  from  circumcision,  which 
has  no  reference  to  any  kind  of  baptism.95 

The  subject  of  hanging,  placed  the  clergy- 
man in  a  state  of  suspence,  and  there  he  hung 
the  remainder  of  the  evening,  and  perhaps 
till  he  died,  which  was  sometime  in  the  year 
1814*  Before  we  retired,  he  delivered  a  kind 
of  cold  formal' prayer,  as  it  seemed  to  me. 
When  we  went  into  the  room  where  we  slept, 
he  stated  to  me  that  he  was  thoroughly  ac- 
quainted with  theology,  or  systematic  divini- 
ty, and  was  not  afraid  of  being  examined  by 
any  man,  as  he  considered  himself  qualified 
to  preach  the  gospel.  To  this  I  made  no  re- 
ply ;  but  we  slept  in  greater  harmony  than 
his  propositions  ever  were  respecting  sprink- 
liug  children.  As  he  went  away  early  in  tha 
morning,  we  had  no  more  conversation  at  that 
time.  My  proving  that  he  ought  to  hang 
himself,  or  some  other  cause,  fixed  a  distaste 
in  his  mind  against  me,  which  he  retained  to 
the  day  of  his  death,  or  near  that  time,  as  X 
have  frequently  been  informed. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

After  the  conversation  with  Mr,  Reming- 
ton was  ended,  some  of  the  family  asked  me 
if  I  was  a  preacher.  I  told  them  that  I  had 
sometimes  spoken  in  public.  They  request- 
ed ma  to  preach  there  the  next  day,  as  they 


192  LIFE   OP 

could  notify  the  people  in  the  morning.  This 
was  agreed  on,  and  by  meeting  time,  people 
were  notified  for  several  miles  around*  A 
considerable  number  came  to  hear  the  stran- 
ger, and  were  very  attentive  to  hear  the  word. 
Several  young  people,  who  had  lately  been 
converted  to  (rod,  spake  in  the  assembly,  and 
greatly  comforted  and  confirmed  my  mind. 
On  leaving  Haverhill  for  the  eastern  part  of 
the  state,  I  expected  to  preach  but  little,  and 
only  to  a  few  in  some  obscure  corner ;  think- 
ing that  my  knowledge,  ability,  and  expe- 
rience was  such  as  to  prevent  my  being  much 
known  in  that  part  of  the  country  ;  and  at 
this  meeting  I  was  surprised  to  see  the  at- 
tention of  the  people,  for  they  heard  as  if 
all  said  was  entirely  new  to  them.  The  meet- 
ing closed  in  a  solemn  and  affecting  manner, 
while  many  said  we  never  heard  such  things 
before.  In  the  evening,  brother  Burgin  re- 
turned from  Beerfield,"  having  heard  of  the 
meeting.  As  I  was  determined  to  go  on  my 
journey  on  Monday,  he  proposed  to  go  with 
me  to  Newmarket.  This  proposal  was  very 
acceptable  to  me,  being  a  stranger  to  the  way, 
the  country,  and  the  people. 

He  was  a  man  who  had  professed  religion 
for  many  years  ;  was  of  the  baptist  denomi- 
nation, and  had  ever  been  an  honor  to  that  re- 
ligion he  professed  ;  though  often  cast  down 
with  doubts  and  fears  respei  ing  himself. 
His  wife  and  children  thought  the  journey 
would  be  profttable,and  encouraged  him  to  go. 
Monday  forenoon  we  rode  to  Deerfield  j  had 


ELIAS    SMITH.  i?>S 

a  meeting  at  Enos  Sanborn's  house,  ami  the 
next  day  at  the  baptist  meeting-house.  Wed- 
nesday morning  we  sat  out  for  Newmarket, 
and  arrived  at  the  house  of  Josiah  Burley. 
about  two  o'clock,  P.  M.  All  the  family,  ex- 
cepting his  wife,  had  gone  to  a  meeting  at 
Broadstreet  Oilman's  house,aboutone  mile  off! 
We  took  some  refreshment,  and  went  to  the 
meeting.  When  we  came  into  the  house,  a 
freewill  baptist  by  the  name  of  Daniel  Lord, 
was  speaking  to  the  people,  who  were  very 
attentive  to  hear  him.  After  he  had  done, 
several  men  and  women  spake  by  exhortation, 
and  many  possessed  joy  unspeakable  and  full 
of  glory.  They  sung  several  new  hymns, 
which  were  refreshing  to  me.  Brother  Burgin 
told  the  man  of  the  house,  he  had  a  preacher 
with  him.  He  asked  me  to  close  the  meeting 
by  prayer  :  this  ended  the  meeting.  A  meet- 
ing was  appointed  for  me  the  next  day  at 
Josiah  Buriey's  house,  where  we  returned  and 
tarried  that  night.  This  was  the  first  house 
I  put  up  at  in  that  part  of  the  country.  This 
house  was  my  home  about  twenty  years  ;  even 
from  that  day  till  the  man  and  his  wife  both 
died.  He  afterwards  became  my  father-in- 
law,  and  continued  his  friendship"  till  death. 
This  was  the  most  remarkable  family  I  had 
then  ever  seen.  The  man,  his  wife,  four 
daughters,  hired  man,  and  a  lad  of  about 
twelve  years  old,  all  gave  an  evidence  of  be- 
ing converted  to  God.  The  first  evening  I 
was  there,  they  sung,  prayed,  and  converged 
R 


194  LIFE    OP 

freely  upon  the  things  of  the  kingdom  of 
peace. 

The  next  morning,  I  was  awakened  hy  the 
sound  of  some  one  praying,  zml  the   set 
of  God  engaged  the  minds  of  the  wh 
ily.     At  the  meeting  the  next   day,  a 
number  of  people  tnd  it  was  to  me 

an  heavenly  place  in  Je*us.     At  this 

meeting  Richard  Martin,  of  Lee,  v  ho  Is  now 
a  preacher  in  Gilford,  spake  first  in  public, 
and  declared  what  God  had  done  for  htw. 
The  Lord  enabled  me  to  preach  his  gospel  to 
the  poor.  It  was  a  strange  tiling  to  me.  to 
.see  so  many  come  so  far  to  hear  a  lad  speak, 
as  I  was  then  twenty-one  years  and  nearly 
eleven  months  old  ;  and  considered  my  sell 
the  least  of  all  who  ever  undertook  to  preach 
Christ. 

At  the  close  of  the  meeting,  several  of  the 
brethren  requested  me  to  preach  the  next 
first-day  at  Dr.  Shepard's  meeting-house  in 
lipping.  As  I  had  never  spoken  in  a  meet- 
ing-house, it  was  with  much  persuasion  that 
they  gained  my  consent  to  make  the  appoint- 
ment. After  much  importunity,  I  consented 
to  appoint  the  meeting.  Being  feeble,  and  in 
a  low  state  of  health,  I  had  no  more  meetings 
that  week.  From  that  time  till  the  next  meet- 
ing, my  mind  was  continually  troubled  about 
the  meeting,  and  how  I  should  be  able  to 
speak  to  the  people.  This  difficulty  has  at- 
tended me  from  that  day  to  this.  When  I 
have  spoken  once,  I  generally  feel  as  though 
it  was  the  last  time  of  speaking.      When 


ILIAS    SMITH.  195 


young,  I  expected  to  outgrow  this  difficulty  ; 
but  have  not  to  this  day.  This  text  has  been 
proved  to  me  true,  again  and  again  :  "  With- 
out me,  ye  can  do  nothing."  And  this  I  have 
also  proved  true  :  "I  can  do  all  things  through 
Christ  who  strengthened  me." 

On  the  first-day  of  the  week,  the  most  peo- 
ple came  together,  I  had  ever  spoken  to  be- 
fore. When  I  entered  the  pulpit,  trembling 
took  hold  on  me,  while  looking  at  the  pulpit, 
the  people,  and  the  importance  of  the  business 
I  was  entering  upon.  The  place  of  scripture 
I  spake  upon  was  this  :  Mark  xvi.  15,  16, 
"  And  he  said  unto  them,  go  ye  into  all  the 
world,  and  preach  the  gospel  to  every  crea- 
ture, he  that  believeth,  and  is  baptised,  shall 
be  saved  ;  but  he  that  believeth  not,  shall  be 
damned." 

The  word  had  a  remarkable  effect  on  those 
who  heard  ;  such  as  I  hall  never  before  seen 
while  speaking  to  an  assembly.  Among  the 
many  who  attended,  was  a  deist  by  the  name 
of  Zebulon  Dow.  Before  this  meeting,  he 
thought  himself  proof  against  all  contained  in 
the  bible  ;  but  in  this  meeting,  he,  like  Goli- 
ath fell  before  an  inferior,  even  a  youth.  In 
the  afternoon,  I  spake  upon  Isaiah  xxxii 
-1 Loolc  upon  Zion  thecity  of  oar  solemnities*" 
This  afforded  a  subject  of  consolation  ( 
followers  of  the  Lamb.  At  this  meeting,  sev- 
eral from  Lee,  a  town  about  four  miles  from 
Epping,  earnestly  requested  mo  to  preach 
there  the  next  sabbath  day.  This  rtSqu 
died  with  and  gave  public  notice  of 

lie. 


i98 


LIFE    01 


cv  meeiing,  we  went  to  Breutwoojl  to  see 
Dr.  Shepard,  the  baptist  minister,  of  whom  i 
had  heard  so  much.  He  received  us  kindly, 
and  we;  tarried  with  him  that  night.  The 
members  of  that  church  held  an  annual  meet- 
ing  on  the  first  Monday  in  May,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  attending  to  the  temporal  affairs  of 
the  church.  As  that  meeting  Mas  appointed 
the  next  day  in  Salisbury,  Mass.  the  Doc- 
tor invited  us  to  attend,  as  the  brethren  from 
different  parts  would  have  an  opportunity  of 
forming  an  acquaintance  with  me.  Monday 
morning  we  set  out  early,  and  came  to  the 
place  at  ten  o'clock,  the  hour  appointed.  The 
Doctor  talked  all  the  way  j  I  heard  and  re- 
tained all  I  could,  without  exposing  much  of 
my  ignorance. 

After  the  business  of  the  meeting  was  over, 
it  was  proposed  for  me  to  preach.  This  pro- 
posal I  complied  with,  in  much  fear  and  trem- 
bling. In  the  first  of  the  meeting  Dr.  Shep- 
ard looked  great  to  me,  as  I  considered  him 
possessed  of  great  knowledge  and  myself  ve- 
ry  ignorant.  I  had  not  spoken  long,  before  ail 
my  tear  of  him  was  gone.  While  speaking, 
lie  wept,  smiled,  laughed,  groaned,si\i(]  Amen, 
rose  up,  sat  down,  took  off  his  wig,  put  it 
first  on  one  side  of  his  head,  then  on  the  oth- 
er, .and  through  the  whole  manifested  his  ap- 
probation of  what  was  said.  In  that  meeting, 
Jesus  came  down  "like  rain  upon  the  mown 
grass."  That  night  I  put  up  with  the  Doctor 
at  David  Curriers  house,  at  a  place  called 
Amesbury  mills,  where  the  same  man  now 
lives. 


ELIAS    SMITH.  197 

Tuesday,  I  rode  to  Stratham,  a  town  near 
Newmarket,  with  an  old  brother  by  the  name 
of  Stephen  Piper,  tarried  at  his  house  that 
night;  and  preached  at  Deacon  Moses  dark's, 
in  that  vicinity  the  next  day,  and  at  the  bap- 
tist meeting- house  on  Thursday.  In  this 
town,  Joshua  Smith's  preaching  had  been 
greatly  blest,  and  an  happy  company  of  the 
youth  were  converted  to  (rod,  with  whom  I 
was  very  happy  during  my  stay  with  them. 

While  at  Straiham,  the  brethren  proposer! 
to  me  to  tarry  in  that  part  of  the  country,  in- 
stead of  the  Coos  country,  where  I  had  lived 
the  winter  before.  Being  wholly  at  liberty,  I 
concluded  to  comply  with  their  request,  if 
they  would  provide  me  with  an  horse  that  I 
might  return  to  Haverhill,  deliver  up  the  horse 
I  then  had,  go  to  Woodstock,  and  re- 
turn. This  was  agreed  on  at  once,  and  on 
Friday,  took  Deacon  Clark's  horse,  and  went 
to  Newmarket  ;  Saturday  went  to  Lee,  ac- 
cording to  appointment. 

On  the  first  day  of  the  week,  more  people 
met  than  were  at  Epping  the  week  before. 
They  came  from  all  quarters.  My  mind  was 
greatly  agitated  while  viewing  the  assembly 
which  was  composed  of  all  ranks  of  people. 
What  gave  me  the  most  unpleasant  sensation 
wTas,  to  see  an  old  man  come  into  the  pulpit 
with  a  large  white  wig  upon  his  head.  His  pre- 
sence made  me  tremble,  as  I  had  ever  thought 
thai  ministers  with  white  wiea  were  knowing 
men.  I  endeavored  to  trust  in  the  Lord,  and 
preach  the  preaching  lie  bid  me,     I  spake  in 

JEL3 


193  LIFE    OF 

the  forenoon  from  2  Cor.  v.  17,  "Therefore 
if  any  man  be  in  Christ,  he  is  a  new  crea- 
ture." In  the  af&rnoon  from  Deut.  xxxii. 
2,  u  My  doctrine  shall  drop  as  the  rain,  my 
speech  shall  distil  like  the  dew,  as  the  small 
rain  upon  the  tender  herb,  and  the  shoicers 
upon  the  grass."  This  was  a  time  of  refresh- 
ing from  the  presence  of  the  Lord.  The 
brethren  at  Stratham  gave  me  something  to 
help  me  on  my  way,  and  the  people  at  Lee 
did  the  same  ;  and  on  Monday  I  set  out  for 
Coos,  and  Vermont;  having  one  horse  to 
ride,  and  another  to  lead. 

Brother  Burgin  attended  me  through  the 
greater  part  of  this  tour,  and  was  so  revived  in 
his  mind,  and  confirmed  as  to  his  evidence  of 
being  born  of  God,  that  when  he  returned  liome 
he  told  his  wife  he  should  never  doubt  asraiu.  I 
put  up  with  him  on  Monday  evening  ;  and  as 
the  Newhampshire  baptist  association  was 
to  be  hidden  in  Brentwood  the  second  Wed- 
nesday  in  the  next  month,  (June,)  I  appointed 
to  preach  at  his  house  the  Sunday  before  that 
time,  and  went  on  my  way  the  next  day.  I 
had  but  three  or  four  weeks  to  perform  my 
journey  in,  to  be  there  by  the  time  appointed* 
I  went  first  to  Haverhill,  N.  H.  and  deliver- 
ed up  the  horse  I  rode,  told  the  brethren  the 
open  door  there  was  for  me  to  preach  in  Strat- 
ham, and  the  regions  around  ;  and  though  it 
was  disagreeable  to  them  for  me  to  leave  that 
region,  yet:  believing  it  duty,  they  gave  me 
their  fellowship  in  it,  and  a  letter  commend- 
ing me  to  the  brethren  there  as  a  brother,  and 


ELIAS    SMITH.  199 

preacher  of  the  gospel.  From  Bradford,  I 
went  to  Woodstock,  and  related  to  my  par- 
ents what  had  taken  place,  took  my  leave  of 
them,retumed  to  Haverhill,<uayed  a  few  days, 
and  on  Thursday  before  my  appointment  at 
Aliens  town,  set  out  in  company  with  Elder 
Stephen  ftoyce,  for  the  eastern  part  of  the 
state.  We  had  a  pleasant  journey  ;  arrived 
at  Allenstown  on  Saturday  afternoon  ;  w^ere 
kindly  received  by  Brother  Burgin  and  all  his 
family.  His  house  from  that  day  to  this,  has 
ever  been  one  of  the  hundred  fold  promised 
me  when  I  first  left  all  for  Christ. 


CHAPTER  XXL 

On  the  first  day  of  the  week,  the  people 
came  from  every  direction  ,  some  rode  twenty 
miles  in  the  morning,  and  were  there  in  sea- 
son. The  meeting  was  held  in  the  baro, 
which  was  crouded  with  people.  My  text 
was  this  :  John  x.  %  "And  the  sheep  follow 
himP  I  did  not  think  the  people  received 
much  instruction  from  what  was  said ;  for  my 
mind  was  uncommonly  embarrassed.  This 
time  of  speaking  brought  to  my  mind  what 
Elder  Peak  said,  the  first  time  he  heard  me 
speak  in  public.  Said  he,  "preach,  and 
calculate  to  preach  some  very  poor  sermons, 
because  it  is  the  best  you  can  do." 

Elder  Royce  preached  in  the  afternoon, 
in  a  very  solemn  and  impressive  manner. 
The  people  manifested  a  general  satisfaction 


$00  LIFE    OF 

in  the  meeting  ;  and  niy  preaching  and  ihe 
preacher  appeared  less  than  the  least  of  all. 
On  Monday  morning  we  had  a  solemn, 
weeping  time,  in  parting  from  (he  family  and 
friends  present.  It  resembled  that  parting 
at  Ephesus,  when  Paul  took  his  leave  of  the 
Elders.  We  all  kneeled  down  and  prayed  ; 
and  after  prayer,  sung  a  parting  hymn,  com- 
posed by  Elder  Thomas  Baldwin  : 

"  From  whence  doth  this  union  arise,"  &c. 

Brother  Burgurs  wife  was  so  overcome 
with  the  glory  of  the  christian's  union,  that 
she  cried  aloud  for  joy  :  giving  glory  to  God 
for  such  a  time  of  refreshing  from  the  presence 
of  the  Lord.  We  rode  to  Deerfield  that  day, 
and  to  Newmarket  the  next.  Wednesday 
morning  we  rode  to  Brentwood,  about  eight 
miles,  to  attend  the  association. 

Here  I  met  a  number  of  baptist  Elders, 
whom  I  had  never  seen  before.  The  follow- 
ing I  remember  :  Elder  Hezekiah  Smith,  of 
Haverhill,  Mass.  Elder  Thomas  Green  cf 
Cambridge,  Mass.  Elder  Bailey  of  West- 
moreland, Kf.  H,  Eider  Pilsbury  of  North- 
wood,Elder  Chase  of  Amesbury,Mass.  Elder 
Powers  of  Gilmanton,  N.  H.  Elder  Simon 
Lock  of  Coxhall,  Me.  and  others  whom  I  do 
not  now  recollect.  A  blessing  attended,  and 
followed  this  meeting.  My  whole  work  was 
to  hear,  and  retain.  There  had  been  a  revi- 
val of  religion  in  that  town,  and  in  the  towns 
around,  and  several  coaverts  attended  the 
meeting. 


ELIAS    SMITH.  SW 

Elder  Bailey  delivered  the  first  discourse,, 
froai  Rom,  i.  tS^  *•  Fur  I  u,n  not  ashamed  of 
the  gospel  of  Christ 9  for  it  is  the  power  of 
God  unto  mica  lion  to  every  one  that belie veth  ; 
to  the  Jew  first  and  also  to  The  Greek."  He 
preached  the  gospel  as  it  was,  'i  the  power  of 
(rod."  Many  were  much  refreshed,  and 
strengthened  by  the  doctrine  of  the  Lord. 
The  business  of  the  association  took  up  the 
remainder  of  the  day,  at:er  a  few  exhortations 
and  some  spiritual  singing  which  followed 
the  sermon. 

The  next  clay,  Eider  Thomas  Green 
preached  in  the  foranorm,  from  Zacti.  ix.  9,  10, 
"  Rejoice  greatly,  O  daughter  of  /ion,  shout, 
O  daughter  of  Jerusalem  ;  beheld,  thy  king 
cometk  unto  thee;  he  is  just,  and  having  sal- 
vation; lowly, and  riding  upon  an  ass,and  upon 
a  colt  the  foal  of  an  ass.  And  I  will  cut  off 
the  chariot  from  Ephraim,  and  the  horse  fro  in 
Jerusalem,  and  the  battle  bow  shall  be  cut  off, 
and  he  shall  speak  peace  unto  the  heathen, 
and  his  dominion  shall  be  from  sea,  even  to 
s»u,  and  from  the  river  even  to  the  ends  of 
the  earth."  He  gave  a  description  of  Zion's 
King,  his  appearance  on  an  ass  ;  his  mind, 
lowly;  his  nature,  just;  his  message,  salvation; 
the  joy  this  was  calculated  to  give.  He  ex- 
plained the  cutting  off  the  chariot,  horse,  and 
battle  bow,  to  mean  that  his  religion  did  not 
need  the  sword  to  uphold  it,  nor  human  laws 
to  be  needful  to  support  his  doctrine,  nor  his 
ministers.  His  speaking  peace  to  the  heathen 
-he  said,  meant  preaching  the  gospel  in  all  the 


SP2  xres  ot 

world :  and  his  extensive  dominion,  meant, 
that  the  time  would  coni£  when  all  nation? 
should  call  him  blessed,  and  the  kingdoms  of 
this  world  become  the  kingdom  of  our  Lord, 
and  his  Christ.  I  thought  this  was  the  great- 
est and  best  preaching  ever  delivered  by  man. 
It  caused  general  joy  to  the  saints,  who  receiv- 
ed the  doctrine  as  the  earth  drinkein  in  the 
rain  that  con:  eth  oft  upon  it.  That  part  which 
explained  ths  'rating  otf  the  battle  bow,  was 
peculiarly  pleasing  to  the  baptists,  for  at  that 
clay  they  were  opposed  to  beieg  incorporated? 
to  lake  property  from  people  by  force  to  sup- 
port then*  ininblars,  as  they  have  siace  done. 
Id  the  riternoon,  Elder  Boyce  preached  y 
but  I  do  not  now  ^member  his  text.  His 
discourse  was  weighty  and  powerful  ;  and 
had  a  ^ood  effect  on  those  that  heard.  Just 
as  he  was  about  to  close  his  discourse,  Nancy 
Burgin,  (who  had  ac  her  fathers  hcusc,  dis- 
puted Mr.  Remington,)  broke  i:i  upon  him  ; 
being  so  overcome  bv  the  rfory  of  the  subject. 
that  she  mild  ho  longer  refrain  ironi  speak- 
ing. Expre  -sing  the  joy  of  her  hearty  the 
glory  before  tar*  and  the  danger  those  were 
in  who  knew  not  God.  caused  such  a  move- 
ment among  the  people  a 
or  felt     She  continued  ten 

Dfcfeuites,  in  a  very  powerful  manner,  and  th# 
solemnity  of  things  eternal  evid  >sted 

on  the  assembly.     As  soon  as  she  sat  down, 
Elder  Hezekiah  Sin  np  in  the  pulpit, 

and  the  first  words  ho  spake  were  these  :  ;;  By 
tb*  mouth  of  two  or  three  witnesses  every 


tlLIAS    SMITH.'  203 

word  £i%\)  be  established."     After  commend- 

wkrt  Elder  R  ►yce  and  fchs  voman 

•  le  voice  of 
God-to  the  i)   j  >    ,  he  aa  iw- 

poi'  i^f  l:-y  wuii  weight 

oa  his  m^arl,   wfticii   be    felt,  constrained   to 
me«uion,  and  spoak  a  few  words  upo^  which 

-  k  :    lib.  xii.  £.3.  ••  Sre  that  ye  vej 
not  him  that  npeofcetihJ9      Hi*    words   w  re 
uer  ;  ail  a:  tua:  time  he  proved  li.m- 
sel;  rf  trial  It  to  tai  wicked,  am]  a  e 

of  c  ion  to  tin*  saints.     His  des: ■; 

of:  d  iv,  and  the  awful  end  of  such  as 

refused  the  Saviour,  bad  a  deep  and  abiding 
effect    on  many,  who   te  that  day   had  \i\ 

Iiout  hope,  and  without  God  iu  the  world. 
A  glorious  reformation  took  place  in  that  town 

a  that  meeting;  and  many  wounded  at 
that  time,  never  rested,  until  they  kuew  their 
Iledeemer  lived  to  save  tbeni  from  the  wrath 
to  come. 

From  that  meeting  I  went  to  Newmarket, 

I  the  Sunday  following,  preached  at  the 
meeting-house  in  Lee.  At  this  meeting,  ma- 
ny more  people  gathered,  than  at  the  other 
time.  After  the  meeting-house  was  so  filled 
in  every  part,  that  no  more  could  get  in.  they 
gat  he1  ed  round  the  house  to  hear.  In  the 
afternoon  I  spake  upon  these  words,  Isa.  ix. 
79  •'  The  Prince  of  Peace."  One  man  by 
the  name  of  Samuel  Colcord,  from  Notting- 
ham, about  four  miles  off,  who  had  long  been 

tided  in  his  mind  :  hearing  of  the  meeting* 
came,  hoping  he  might  hear  gometbing  that 


304  '  LIFE   OF 

would  give  him  peace.  While  speaking  of 
the,  Prince  of  Peace,  who  gave  peace  to  such 
as  believed  in  him  ;  even  while  be  was  hear- 
ing a  description  of  that  peace,  received  it  in 
his  own  soul  ;  and  was  so  filled  with  peace 
in  believing,  that  the  moment  I  closed,  he 
cried  out,  u  Glory  to  God  for  this  peace, 
which  my  soul  has  received  from  the  Prince 
of  Peace !"  His  words  were  in  demonstra- 
tion of  the  spirit  and  with  power.  The  whole 
assembly  was  moved,  and  many  could  say, 
"  it  is  the  Lord's  doings,  and  marvellous  in 
our  eyes."  He  was  baptised  soon  after,  and 
to  this  day  enjoys  the  same  peace.  I  have 
often  seen  him  since,  and  he  always  with  joy 
mentions  that  time,  and  has  shared  largely  in 
the  same  peace,  and  lives  rejoicing  in  hope 
of  seeing  at  last,  the  Prince  of  Peace,  to  enjoy 
his  love  forever. 

The  day  I  was  twenty-two  years  old, 
which  was  not  far  from  the  time  of  this  meet- 
ing at  Lee,  June  17, 1/91. 1  was  in  Stratham, 
at  the  house  of  Richard  Scammon.  This 
was  a  very  solemn  day  to  me.  The  chief 
part  of  the  day  I  was  alone,  in  a  retired  place 
in  his  field.  I  had  heard  of  some  men  who 
had  made  a  covenant  with  God,  to  serve  him 
all  their  days,  and  signed  it  with  their  blood, 
instead  of  ink  This  I  thought  of  doing, 
that  I  might  feel  myself  more  strongly  bound 
to  serve  him  to  whom  I  owed  my  life,  and  ev- 
ery favor  received.  I  finally  concluded  it 
not  best  to  make  such  a  covenant,  but  pray 
God  to  keep  me  from  the  evil  in  the  world, 


ELI  AS    SMITH.  20d 

and  enable  ine  to  be  useful  while  I  lived. 
My  conclusion  at  that  time  was,  that  I  had 
fever  been  an  unprofitable  servant,  and  as  I 
did  not  expect  to  live  many  years,  wished 
io  live  to  Grod  the  remainder  of  my  days. 

About  this  time,  the    inhabitants  of  Dan- 
ville, Vt.  agreed  to  give  me  a  call   to   settle 
with    them   as  the  minister  of  the  town,  and 
to  give  me  the  land  which  was  designed  for 
the  first  settled  minister.     The  committee  in 
behalf  of  the  town,  sent  a  letter  requesting 
me  to  make  them  a  visit  on  that   account. 
The   proposal  of  several   hundred  acres  o# 
land,  had  no  kind  of  weight  in  my  mind,  as 
I  had  left  all  for  Christ,  and  thought  it  wrong, 
and  contrary  to  the  new-testament,  to  accept 
of  such  an  offer.     Soon  after  this,  one  of  the 
committee  came  to  see  me,  to  insist  on  my  sett- 
ling among  them.     I  told  him   my  mind  was 
to  travel  and  preach  the  gospel,  and  that  Kis 
proposal  would  bind  me,  and  prevent  my  d 
ing  what  the  scriptures  directed.     The  id 
was  then  given  up  :  and  as  the  town  woi< 
not  agree  in  any  other  man,  they  divided  in 
baptists  and  congregationalists,  and  as  1  v 
informed,    divided  the   land.     The  ] 
settled  Isaac  Root  ;  the  others  a  man  by  ( 
name  of  Fisk,  who  now  resides  there.     Mr. 
Hoot   turned  universalist  and  left  them.     I 
never  visited  the  people  there  till  October, 
1814,  when  I  found  what  I  wished  for :  a 
great  company  to  hear  the  gospel  of  the  eracs 
of  God. 

S 


§06  LIFE    GF 

Not  far  from  the  time  of  entering  my  twen- 
ty-third year,  the  inhabitants  of  Lee  request- 
ed me  to  preach  with  them  a  certain  part  of 
the  time.  I  agreed  to  preach  there  two  thirds 
of  the  time,  and  at  Stratham  one  third.  At 
Xee,  the  people  were  uncommonly  desirous 
for  me  to  settle  as  the  town's  minister  ;  this 
I  could  not  do,  as  there  was  no  such  thing 
mentioned  in  the  new-testament.  They  did 
every  thing  needful  to  make  me  contented 
among  them.  Their  kindness  I  ever  ac- 
knowledged, but  could  not  comply  with  their 
request.  One  man,  Cap-.  Hill,  proposed  to 
jgive  me  a  suit  of  clothes,  as  mine  were  quite 
poor.  He  gave  me  an  order  on  Samuel  Hill, 
of  Portsmouth,  for  all  I  asked  for  at  his  store. 
As  it  was  a  fashion  for  the  cl&rgy  to  v.  ear 
black,  he  advised  me  to  get  thai  color.  A 
MacJc  mark  for  a  minister  Was  never  pleading 
to  me  ;  but  as  he  desired  it,  I  took  his  order 
and  went  to  Portsmouth,  N.  H.  and  took  black 
broadcloth  for  a  coat,  black  hating  for  waist- 
coat and  small  clothes,  two  pair  of  black 
stockings,  one  pair  of  black  gloves,  and  a 
black  round  hah 

When  taking  the  cloth  from- the  mere! 
I  thought  it  looked  more  suitable  to  cover  a 
cofiin,  than  to  dress  a  live  man. 
with  my  cloth,  and  shewed  Gapt.  Hill  the  bill. 
He  complained  that  I  had  not  got  better  cloth, 
}>ui  I  thought  it  good  enough  for  such  a  poor 
ignorant  preacker.     My  clothe 
lc,  but  I  looked  quite  too  bla< 
is  tifiie  I  owned  no 


fi'LI-AS    SMITH.  207 

baptist  brother,  Broadstreet  Gilinan,  gave  me 
the  use  of  a  good  horse  through  the  summer* 
In  the  fore  part  of  August,  I  proposed  a  jour- 
ney to  Woodstock  to  see  my  parents.  The 
horse  lent  me,  was  some  worn  down,  and 
Samuel  Williams,  of  Lee,  gave  me  the  use 
of  his  to  perform  the  journey.  As  I  passer! 
through  Salisbury,  the  people  in  the  middle 
of  the  town,  who  had  built  a  new  meeting- 
house, in  opposition  to  those  on  the  south  road, 
requested  me  to  preach  in  their  new  house  on 
my  return  ;  this  I  agreed  to,  and  appointed 
the  meeting. 

On  my  way  from  Salisbury  to  Canaan,  it 
began  to  rain  towards  night,  and  rained  un- 
commonly fast.  For  several  miles  there  was 
no  house  to  put  up  at,  and  very  dark.  I  was 
more  afraid  of  injuring  my  new  clothes  with 
i\\Q  rain,  than  myself.  Sometime  in  the  eve- 
ning, I  came,  to  an  house  where  they  were 
willing  to  keep  me;  put  my  horse  in  the  barn 
and  retired  to  rest,  without  taking  any  food. 
My  clothes  were  wet  through,  and  the  rain 
had  run  into  my  boots  which  were  new,  and 
quite  too  small  when  dry.  I  tried  hard  to 
pull  them  off  with  a  jack,  but  could  not.  The 
only  way  I  could  do  was  to  take  off  my  coat, 
and  sleep  with  my  boots  and  other  clothes  on. 
In  the  morning,  I  arose  and  went  on  my  way 
to  Woodstock.  My  parents  were  not  a  little 
troubled  to  see  me  so  richly  dressec^  and  so 
well  fur  \     Their  fear  was, 

thai  such  thi  ght  sen  c  to  I  nd 

9  forgot  my  dependence.     This  1 


20S  LIFE    GF 

knew  was  often  the  consequence  of  prosperi- 
ty, and  their  admonitions  were  not  wholly  in 
vain. 


CHAPTER  XXIL 

After  a  short  and  agreeable  visit,  I  return- 
ed to  attend  to  my  appointment  in  Salisbury. 
Many  people  from  different  parts  of  the  town 
attended  to  hear  the  stranger  and  youth.  As 
this  was  the  first  meeting  ever  held  in  the 
house,  it  being  then  unfinished,  my  mind  was 
led  to  something  which  I  thought  would  be 
suitable  to  the  occasion.  The  text  was  this  : 
1  Kings  viii.  2%  "But  will  God  indeed  dwell 
on  earth  f  Behold  the  heaven,  and  heaven  of 
heavens,  cannot  contain  thee  ;  how  much  less 
this  house  that  I  have  builded  ?"  My  first 
proposition  was  to  shew  the  greatness  and 
glory  of  the  Creator.  Second,  shew  how  he 
would  dwell  on  earth,  which  was  through  the 
Mediator,  and  that  there  was  no  house  that 
God  would  dwell  in  on  earth,  excepting  in 
such  as  kept  the  commands  of  Jesus.  The 
people  were  very  attentive  to  hear,  and  ap- 
peared satisfied  with  the  discourse. 

Hearing  that  day,  that  Joshua  Smith  was 
to  preach  in  Northfield,  across  the  river  from 
Salisbury,  at  8  o'clock  in  the  morning,  \  n)de 
down  to  the  river,  and  stopped  at  Col.  Web- 
ster's, father  of  Daniel  Webster  of  Ports- 
mouth, a  lawyer,  and  now,  (181 5,)  member  of 
Congress,     JFroui  his  appearance  at  that  time, 


ELIAS    SMITH.  509 

I  did  not  think  he  would  ever  make  a  pub- 
lic man,  though  H  is  so  now. 

Being  dressed  in  black.  Col.  Webster  sup- 
posed me  a  preacher,  and  asked  me  to  abide 
with  him  till  morning.  He  and  his  family 
treated  me  kindly.  In  the  morning,  I  rode 
to  Mr.  Mills'  house,  where  the  meeting  was 
appointed,  and  met  the  preacher  who  had 
lately  come  from  Virginia.  While  I  sat  at 
breakfast,  an  old  man  came  into  the  house  by 
the  name  of  Carter,  from  Canterbury.  Mrs. 
Mills  asked  him  to  eat  ;  ••'  No,"  said  he,  <•'  I 
do  not  want  such  food,  my  soul  is  hungry  for 
the  bread  of  life  :  I  have  not  heard  a  gospel 
sermon  this  six  mouths,  and  have  come  eight 
miles  this  morning  to  hear  the  gospel,  and 
hope  the  meeting  will  begin  soon."  After 
meeting,  I  asked  the  old  pilgrim  if  he  had 
found  any  food?  "  O,  yes/"  said  he,  "I 
have  had  a  feast  of  fat  things  fall  of  marrow, 
and  wines  on  the  lees,  well  refined."  My 
heart  replied,  ;;  God  grant  that  such  hungry 
souls  may  ever  be  filled  with  good  things." 
From  this  meeting  I  returned  to  Lee,  and  the 
region  that  lieth  round  about. 

From  this,  Joshua  Smith  rode  in  company 
with  me  the  greater  part  of  ihe  time  for  more 
than  oae  year.  About  the  first  of  Sep  ember, ; 
he  went  to  Sanborntown,  fifty  miles  in 
the  country  from  Btratham,  with  a  brother, 
Samuel  Pottle,  who  had  relations  in  that  town. 
His  visit  proved  a  great  blessing  to  the  family 
and  many  others.  The  man's  name,  where 
he  had  the  first  letting,  was  Jonathan  Chas* 

.S3 


310  LIFE    OF 

The  day  they  arrived,  he  had  a  daughter  mar- 
ried. The  minister  who  married  them,  Mr. 
Woodman,  was  there,  and  a  large  company 
of  young  people,  who  had  calculated  upon  a 
very  happy  time  at  the  wedding.  Soon  after 
supper,  Joshua  Smith  began  to  sing  some 
spiritual  hymns,  then  he  prayed,  and  soon  be- 
gan to  tell  the  company  the  danger  they  were' 
in,  while  in  unbelief.  His  words  took  such 
hold  of  them,  that  they  had  no  inclination  for 
the  diversion  they  had  calculated  upon. 
From  this,  he  appointed  another  meeting  for 
preaching,  and  many  came  to  hear.  In  a 
short  time,  a  considerable  number  were  turn- 
ed from  darkness  to  light,  and  from  the  power 
of  satan  to  God. 

Joshua  Smith  returned  to  Stratham,  and 
soon  after  we  both  went  there  and  tarried  some 
time.  Afterwards  a  baptist  church  was  con- 
stituted there  ;  and  a  meeting-house  built, 
which  remains  to  this  day.  Soon  after  this, 
a  young  man  in  North  wood,  by  the  name  of 
John  Crockett,  was  converted  to  God,  and  be- 
came a  preacher.  About  one  year  after  the 
church  was  gathered,  he  went  to  Sanborn- 
town  to  preach,  and  moved  his  family  there, 
was  ordained,  and  has  remained  there  to  this 
day,  1815.  He  has  been  bleirt  with  several 
revivals,  and  there  is  now  a  large  church  and 
congregation  who  meet  in  that  house.  At  this 
time  there  is  more  life  and  freedom  among 
them,  than  in  any  baptist  church  of  my  ac- 
quaintance ia  the  state  of  Newhajnp  shire . 


ELIAS    SMITH.  511 

The  reformation  which  began  in  Sanborn - 
town,  spread  in  different  directions.     In  Mer- 
edith, the  next   town,    many  were  converted 
to  God.     Elder   Nicholas    Folsom,  of  that 
town,  was  blest  as  an  instrument  of  good,  and 
baptised  many  in  both  towns.     He  was  living 
in   September,  1815,  though   quite  advanced 
in  rears,  and  much  benumbed  with  Calvinism. 
Not  far  from  this  time  we    visited  Brook- 
fltdd,  and  Middlekm,  in  N.  H.     In    Brook* 
field   they  had  a    lifeless  clergyman   settled 
for  life,  by  the  name  of  Piper.     He  piped  to 
them  a  number  of  years,  but  no  one  danced 
that  I  know  of,  unless  it  was  at  the  sound  of 
the  taxgatberer's  demand.  I  am  informed.that 
bein^:  tired  with  his  sound,  thev  hired  him  to 
desist  from  what  they  had  hired  him   to    do. 
In  this  visit  to  Middlertown,  I  first  saw  Elder 
John  Buzzel,  a  free-will    baptist   preacher, 
who  now  resides  in  Parsonsfield,  Me.    With 
him  and  the  brethren  there,  we  had   a  happy 
inr-eting ;  though  Brother  Smith  troubled  them 
a  little  with  Calvinism,  a  disorder  which  he 
was    considerably  troubled  with  himself,  at 
certain  times.     This  evil  disease  I  never  had 
till  about  one  ysar  after. 

From  this  region  we  returned  to  Stratham 
and  Lee.  In  the  course  of  this  season  wr& 
went  to  a  town  called  Hawke,  in  N.  H.  to 
hold  a  meeting  at  the  house  of  Jonathan 
French.  As  we  were  on  our  way  to  the  house, 
within  one  mile,  in  a  small  piece  of  wood, 
Brother  Smith  took  up  an  half  sheet  of  paper 
that  lay  in  the  roadj  which  I  then  thought 


SIS  ilFE    OF 

was  dropped  on  purpose  for  him,  because  he 
was  a  calvinist.  The  following  is  the  amount 
of  what  (he  paper  contained.  "  A  gentleman 
in  Virginia  had  a  slave,  that  was  a  calvinist 
of  the  baptist  denomination.  One  day  the 
master  undertook  to  interrogate  the  negro 
respecting  Lis  religion  ;  and  said  "  What  do 
you  believe  concerning  your  God  ?"  The  ne- 
gro said,  "  my  God  make  great  many  folks  ; 
he  make  some  to  be  saved  and  he  make  great 
many  to  be  damned.  He  provide  a  Saviour 
for  few  :  he  tell  them  all  to  come  to  him  and 
be  saved.  They  cannot  come,  though  he 
command  them  to  come,  and  he  damn  them 
all  if  they  no  come.  Some  he  make  come, 
though  they  no  wish  to  come  ;  but  when  they 
come,  they  glad  he  make  them  come."  Said 
the  master,  "do  you  love  such  a  God,  and 
delight  to  serve  him  ?"  "Yep  master/-  replied 
life  negro.  Soon  after  this,  the  master  took 
the  negro,  and  tied  him  to  a  tree  near  the 
house,  with  his  back  to  the  tree.  He  then  set  a 
table  a  few  feet  from  the  tree,  and  set  food  on 
it,  and  invited  his  negro  to  come  and  eat. 
The  negro  said,  "  untie  me  first  master." 
No,  said  he,  come  now.  Next  he  commanded 
him  to  come.  "  Untie  me  master  and  I  will 
come."  Come  first,  said  the  master. 
f:  Having  invited,  and  commanded  him  to  eat, 
he  then  threatened  to  whip  him  severely,  if 
he  did  not  obev,  while  tied  fast  to  the  tree. 
r\  he  negro  cried,  " master  you  know  I  cau?6 
come."  The  master  in  appearance  begin  to 
grow  angry,  and  took  his  whip,  and  told  him 


BLIAS    SMITH.  £13T 

he  would  positively  whip  him  if  lie  did  not 
go  and  eat  the  food  in  one  raiaute.  The  slave 
begged  heartily  to  be  untied  ;  but  to  no  pur- 
pose. The  master  begun  to  whip  him  severely 
for  not  obeying  him  ;  and  the  negro  cried  out 
to  his  master  for  his  cruelty.  The  master 
said,  do  you  think  I  am  doing  right  now? 
No,  no,  master,  it  is  no  right  to  whip  so, 
Now,  said  he,  this  is  the  way  you  say  your 
God  does,  commands  all  to  come,  when  they 
cannot  come.  Give  up  such  a  thought  of  a 
God  that  is  good  to  all,  and  punishes  only 
such  as  transgress,  when  they  might  obey  ; 
give  it  up  or  I  will  whip  you  to  death.  The 
negro  cried  out,  "  mavster  I  no  believe  such 
religion  any  more.'*  He  then  let  him  go, 
having  convinced  him  of  the  wickedness  of 
such  doctrine,  by  the  example  of  food  he 
could  not  reach,,  and  the  solid  arguments  of 
the  cow-skin." 

Brother  Joshua  read  it  through,  looked  a 
little  sour,  said  nothing ;  and  handed  me 
the  papci^  which  I  read  and  committed  to 
memory.  I  told- him  it  was  dropped  as  a 
hint  to  him  to  preach  consistently.  We  went 
to  meeting,  au^l  I  spake  to  the  people  from 
Isa.  xii.  3.  "Therefore  with  joy  shall  ye 
draw  water  out  of  the  wells  of  salvation." 

During  this  year  we  travelled  and  preached 
in  almost  every  town  in  the  county  of  Buck- 
ingham. We  went  twice  to  Giimantown,  and 
preached  in  Elder  Walter  Powers'  meeting 
house.  Once  we  went  to  Portsmouth,  where 
I  now  reside.     There  was  a  general   revival 


SEMI  LIFE    6? 

of  religion  through  the  county.  As  neither 
ox  us  were  ordained,  the  old  baptist  ministers, 
Dr.  Shepard,  Wm.  Hooper,  of  Madbury,Pils- 
bury,  Powers,  and  others,  baptised.  In  Brent- 
wood, Dr.  Shepard  baptised  thirty-six  in  one 
day.  We  enjoyed  heaven  ia  our  souls,  and 
often  sat  together  in  heavenly  places  in  Christ, 
with  our  brethren  and  sisters.  Though  we 
had  nothing,  yet  we  possessed  all  things,  and 
knew  no  want  of  any  good  thing. 

In  the  beginning  of  this  winter,  (1781.)  the 
people  in  Lee  wished  me  to  preach  with  them 
two  thirds  of  the  time,  and  agreed  for  me  to 
make  my  home  with  Eli  Furber,  at  whose 
house  I  had  generally  resided  when  in  Lee. 
This  proposal  I  accepted,  and  preached  one 
third  of  the  time  in  Stratham.  I  did  not 
travel  much  in  the  winter,  but  spent  consid- 
erable time,  iu  reading  the  scriptures,  and  such 
hooks  as  I  judged  most  useful.  This  winter 
I  read  Edwards  history  of  redemption  through, 
and  became  generally  acquainted  with  Oster- 
waUFs  christian  theology,  as  it  was  called. 
In  the  month  of  January,  my  father  came  to 
visit  me,  and  tarried  till  February.  He  went 
with  me  into  different  towns,  aiui  was  greatly 
comforted,  in  seeing  the  brethren,  and  joining 
fi  ith  them  in  gongs  of  praise  to  God  and  the 
Lamb. 


?/LIAS    SMITH, 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 

This  year,  the  chief  dispute  among  the 
different  denominations  was  respecting  bap- 
tism, and  what  was  called  close  communion. 
I  had  net  much  controversy  with  any  one. 
mind  was  fixed  as  to  baptism,  from  the 
new-testament,     which     declared    that    the 

mtnand  was  enjoined  only  on  believers,  and 
that  the  mode  was  burying  in  water.  As  to 
close  communion,  I  took  that  to  be  right, 
because  the  denomination  to  which  I  belonged 
held  so.  There  was  some  difference  between 
what  was  called  calvinistic,  and  free-will  bap- 
tist. As  I  was  ignorant  of  the  free-will  baptist, 
and  understood  they  held  to  saving  themselves, 
it  went  so  in  my  mind  without  making  much 
enquiry  about   it. 

Among  the  calvinistie  baptists,  there  were 
two  kinds.  One  part  hold  that  Christ  died 
for  the  elect  only,  and  that  there  was  no  pos- 
sibility of  salvation  to  any  others.  The  other 
part  hold  that  Christ  died  for  all,  or  made  such 
an  atonement  for  all  as  to  make  it  consistent 
to  preach  to  all,  and  call  on  all  to  repent  and 

rn  to  God,  and  at  the  same  time  they  held 

a  certain  part  were  given  to  Christ,  aud 

(bat  those  would  and  should  come,  and  that 

no  others  ever  would  be  saved.     They  stated 

that  all  had  an  offer  :  that  all  refused,   and 

11  as  Dr.  Shepard  termed  it,   "  God  gave 

that  to  some,  thai  he  aired  to  none."     Though 

I  held  to  Calvinism,  yet  1  . 

lieved  the  gospel  was  to  be  preached  toe 


:216  life  ©p 

ry  creature.  In  this  way  Doctor  Shepard 
preached,  and  Elder  Thomas  Baldwin  of 
Boston.  Doctor  Samuel  Stiilnian,  of  Boston, 
and  others,  held  to  the  limitation  doctrine. 

One  thing  which  took  place  at  brother 
Furber's,  served  to  confirm  me  in  preaching 
the  gospel  to  every  creature.  One  Saturday 
as  I  was  returning  to  Lee,  from  a  preaching 
tour  in  the  towns  around,  I  concluded  on  the 
morrow  to  preach  upon  Gen.  xxviii.  12,  "And 
he  dreamed,  and,  behold,  a  ladder  set  upon 
the  earth,  and  the  top  of  it  reached  to  heaven  : 
and,  behold,  the  angels  of  God  ascending  and 
descending  on  it"  After  returning  home,  be- 
ing wearied  with  my  journey,  I  lay  down  in 
the  afternoon  and  slept.  In  my  sleep,  I  dream- 
ed thai  an  angel  came  and  asked  me  if  I 
meant  to  preach  upon  Jacob's  ladder  the  next 
day.  I  said,  yes.  Well,  said  he,  what  do  you 
mean  to  tell  the  people  that  ladder  is  ?  I  said 
Christ,  and  to  prove  it,  shall  quote  them  John 
i.  51,  z<  Hereafter  you  si  all  see  heaven 
open,  and  the  angels  of  God  ascending  and 
descending  upon  the  son  of  man.  ** 
That  is  right,  said  he.  What  more  ?  I  shall 
tell  them  the  length  of  the  ladder,  which  is 
so  long  as  to  reach  from  earth  to  heaven, 
which  describes  Christ  the  Mediator  among 
men,  and  at  the  same  time  with  his  father. 
That  is  light  added  the  angel.  He  then  said, 
J  will  ask  you  one  questiou  more.  How  wide 
do  you  think  that  ladder  is  ?  My  reply  in 
e  dream  was  :  I  do  not  know.  It  is  what 
ver  before  entered  my  mind  ;  tell  me  the 


ELIAS    SMITH.  217 

width.  He  answered,  it  is  as  wide  as  the 
world.  When  he  had  said  this,  I  dreamed 
that  he  quoted  the  following  places  of  scrip- 
ture to  prove  what  he  said  :  John  iii.  16, 
"  For  God  so  loved  the  world,  that  he  gave 
his  only  begotton  son,  that  whosoever  believ- 
cth  in  him  should  not  perish  but  have  ever- 
lasting life."  Luke  ii.  30,  31,  "For  mine 
eyes  have  seen  thy  salvation  which  thou  hast 
prepared  before  the  face  of  all  people."  Mark 
xvi  15,  &  And  he  said  unto  them,  go  ye  into 
all  the  world,  and  preach  the  gospel  to  every 
creature." 

That 'part  concerning  the  width  of  the 
ladder  was  new  to  me,  and  meditating  on  it, 
and  the  scriptures  which  the  angel  mentioned, 
I  concluded  that  ray  dream  about  a  dream  was 
true.  The  next  day,  in  the  pulpit,  I  told  the 
people  of  Jacob's  dream  and  my  own,  and 
was  happy  in  having  an  whole  Saviour  to 
preach  to  every  creature. 

That  winter  a  young  man  by  the  name  of 
Thomas  Nichols,  from  Harvard,  Mass.  came 
into  that  part  of  the  country,  and  preached  in 
Epping,  Brentwood,  Kingston  and  Southv 
Hamptoir.  He  was  an  humble,  faithful, 
zealous  young  man  ;  and  much  engaged  for1 
the  goo  1  of  the  children  of  men.  He  did  not 
couth  ue  long,  as  he  was  of  a  slander  consti- 
tution, and  his  zeal  went  beyond  his  strength. 
In  about  two  years  he  died  of  a  consumption, 
at  the  widow  Brown's  house  in  East-KL;g- 
■tira,  N.  H.  He  was  composed  and  happy 
i*  hi*  sickness,   and    died  in  peace,  having 

T 


318  LIFE    OF 

with  joy  finished  his  short  ccrarae  of  preaching 
Christ  to  the  sons  of  men. 

His  death  brought  a  great  solemnity  on 
lny  mind,  and  led  me  to  feel  the  importance 
of  being  also  ready. 

I  do  not  now  recollect  where  Joshua  Smith 
was  through  the  winter,  but  think  he  went 
to  the  State  of  New- York.  In  the  spring  of 
1792,  he  returned,  and  we  travelled  together 
the  chief  part  of  the  summer  following. 

In  the  latter  part  of  April,  there  was  a 
great  revival  of  religion  in  Southampton,  and 
many  of  the  young  and  old  were  converted  to 
€>od  and  wished  to  be  baptised.  As  I  was 
not  ordained,  Doctor  Shepard  appointed  a 
day  for  me  to  preach  on  the  occasion,  and 
for  him  to  baptise*  A  great  company  collec- 
ted :  and  the  meeting  was  held  in  Col.  Ben- 
jamin Clough's  barn.  My  text  was  this, 
E.zek.  Ixiii.  10,  11,  Thou  son  of  man,  shew 
the  house  to   the  house   of  Israel,  that   they 

//  be  ashamed  of  their  iniquities,  and  let 
them  measure  the  pattern.  And  if  they  be 
ashamed  of  all  they  have  done,  shew  them 
the  form  of  the  house,  and  the  fashion 
thereof,  and  the  goings  out  thereof,  and  the 
comings  in  thereof,  and  all  the  forms  therof, 
and  all  the  ordinances  thereof,  and  all  tlw 
forms  thereof,  and  all  the  laws  thereof,  and 
write  it  in  their  sight,  that  they  may  keep  the 
irhole  form  thereof,  and  all  the  ordinances 
thereof  anddo  them."     My  manner  of  speak- 

g  upon  the  text  was  this :  1.  To  describe 
the  fei/use,  which  I  considered  th%  church  of 


ELTAS    SMITH.  219 

I.  2.  The  pattern,  which  I  considered 
the  order  laid  down  in  the  new-testament. 
3.  The  coming  in,  which  was  by  baptising 
persons  giving  an  evidence  of  being  born 
again.  4.  The  goings  out,  which  was  turn- 
ing a  person  out  for  not  walking  in  newness 
of  life,  5.  The  ordinances  of  the  house, 
which  were  considered  to  be  baptism  and  the 
Lord's  supper.  The  form  of  one  was  burying 
m  water ;  the  form  of  the  other,  breaking- 
bread,  aud  giving  wine  to  such  as  were  iu 
fellowship  with  the  church.  0.  The  design 
of  all  this,  which  was  that  they  may  observe 
and  do  them. 

My  propositions  were  in  general  correct  ; 
yet  I  do  not  now  think  that  any  such  things 
were  meant  in  the  text,  though  many  ef  these 
things  are  contained  in  the  new-testament. 
The  house  spoken  of  in  the  text,  is  one  to  he 
built  in  Jerusalem  when  Christ  reigns  on  the 
earth  one  thousand  years.  And  whoever 
reads  and  understands  all  said  of  the  hous^ 
by  the  prophet,  will  see  that  it  does  not  menu 
the  house  of  God  mentioned  in  the  new-te- 
ment.  This  was  the  best  I  knew  then,  and 
though  the  text  Was  not  explained  right,  yet 
the  propositions  were  in  general  true. 

The  increasing  call  for  Elders  to  baj 
led  Doctor  Shepard,  and  the  c!  'it- 

wood  to  propose  to  me  to  be  ordained,     Tl 
ked  too  great  for  me,  as*  I  did   Dot 
'  far  enough  advanced  inknowted 
experience^    to  be   hi  any  meastii  ed 

to  take  such  an  important  ad    i 


220  LIFE    OF 

life.  For  some  time  I  thought  not  to  comply 
with  the  request  on  any  account  whatever; 
but  at  last  consented  to  be  ordained  an  evan^ 
gelist,  to  travel  and  preach,  without  being" 
confined  to  any  particular  place.  This  the 
brethren  were  willing  for;  but  insisted  on 
my  remaining  in  that  part  of  the  country.  It 
is  often  a  matter  of  wonder  to  me  that  any 
young  man  should  crowd  himself  forward  in 
this  particular ;  as  there  can  be  no  greater 
evidence  of  his  being  unfit  for  the  office. 
"\Vhoever  reads  Paul's  description  of  the 
qualifications  of  an  Elder  or  Bishop,  in  his 
first  epistle  to  Timothy,  instead  of  Crowding 
himself  forward,  will  shrink  back,  and  trem- 
ble, in  view  of  the  greatness  and  importance 
of  the  work.  To  watch  for  men's  souls,  as 
they  that  must  rive  an  account  to  God ;  to  be 
a  savor  of  life  unto  life,  or  of  death  unto  death  ; 
to  be  in  danger  of  having  men's  blood  required 
of  us;  to  be  an  example  to  the  believer,  in 
word,  conversation,  in  doctrine,  in  purity,  in 
charity,  in  spirit,  and  in  all  things  shewing 
ourselves  patterns  of  good  works.  All  these 
things  considered,  will  lead  a  person  with 
seriousness  to  say,  "  Who  is  sufficient  for 
these  things  ?"  All  this  at  that  time,  lay  with 
great  weight  on  my  mind  ;  so  they  ought  ever 
to  remain.  Should  this  book  ever  fall  into 
the  hands  of  young  preachers;  read  this  para- 
graph with  attention,  and  consider  what  Paul 
has  said  upon  the  subject,  and  "  the  Lord  give 
ttiee  understanding  in  all  things." 


ELJAS    SMITH,  231 

As  the  Newhainpshire  association  was  to 
be  holdenat  Deerfieid,  the  second  Wednes- 
day in  June,  i7Q£>  the  church  thought  hest 
for  me  to  he  ordained  at  that  time,  if  Elders 
Baldwin  and  Smith  attended  ;  otherwise  to 
delay  it  to  a  future  day,  and  send  for1  them 
and  others  to  attend.  They  did  not  attend, 
and  it  was  put  off.  My  enemies,  and  the 
enemies  of  truth,  took  occasion  from  this  to 
raise  some  evil  reports,  which  were  shortlived, 
and  soon  vanished  away. 

I*  the  month  of  May  I  went  to  Vermont  to 
visit  my  parents,  and  to  invite  Elder  John 
?eak,  who  then  lived  in  Windsor,  Yt.  to 
visit  the  eastern  part  of  New 'Hampshire ; 
hoping  he  would  remove  his  family  there, 
and  be  a  fellow  laborer  with  me  and  others 
in  that  region.  My  invitation  he  accepted, 
and  came  with  me  to  the  association  in  Deer- 
field.  He  preached  the  first  sermon,  from, 
1  John  i.  3,  "  That  ye  also  may  have  fellow- 
ship with  ^ls :  and  truly  our  fellowship  ii 
with  the  Father,  and  with  his  son  Jesus 
Christ."  At  this  time  he  was  a  warm,  lively, 
experimental  preacher.  Calvinism  had 
not  then  cooled  his  first  love,  as  it  did  after- 
ward.  His  preaching,  was  new  to  the  preach- 
ers and  people ;  he  enjoyed  the  spirit,  power, 
and  assurance  of  the  subject ;  and  his  speech 
dropped  upon  them  ;  and  they  waited  for  it 
as  for  the  rain.  Many  said,  "  never  did  we 
hear  a  man  speak  like  this  man."  He  tarried 
some  time  in  that  region  ;  and  being  highly 
esteemed  for  his  work's  sake ;  the  church  at 


323  i,i£e  o? 

Deerfield  invited  him  toniake  Deerfield  the 
place  of  his  abode.  This  invitation  be  ac- 
cepted, and  the  next  winter  brought  his  fam- 
ily there.  From  Deerfield  ft*  went  to  New- 
town, N.  H.  from  there  to  Wsburn,  Mass. 
from  there  back  to  Newtown  ;  frc\rn  there  to 
Barnstable  on  Cape  Cod ;  from  there  to 
Newburyport,  where  he  now  lives,  preaching 
Calvinism,  in  all  its  parts,  as  I  am  frequently 
told. 

In  the  month  of  July,  1792,  Doctor  Shep- 
ard,  and  the  Brentwood  church  appointed  for 
me  to   be  ordained  the  third  Wednesday  in 
August;    and   wrote   letters   to   the  baptist 
churches  in  Northwood,  Madbury,  Haverhill, 
and  the  two  baptist  churches   in  Boston,  re- 
questing them  to.  send  their  Elders,  and  chosen 
brethren   to  assist  in  ordaining  their  brother 
Elias  Smith.     As  they  wished  the  Elders  and 
churches  to  know  who  they  were  to  ordain,  it 
was  agreed  for  me  to  carry  the  letters  to  Bos- 
ton, and  Haverhill.     I  came  in  sight  of  Boston 
for  the  first  time  towards  night,  on  the  day  of 
the  commencement  in  Cambridge.     When  in 
Charlestown,  near  the  bridge,  I  saw  a  constant 
stream  of  carriages,   passing,  and   repassing, 
from  Cambridge.     It  looked  to  me  like  con- 
fusion, and    thinking  all  Boston   must  be  in 
an  uproar,  having  never   before  been   in   so 
large  a  place,  nor  seen  how  people  conducted 
where   they  made    ministers  ;  I   thought  it 
unsafe   to  go   in  that  night ;    and    knowing 
Elder  Thomas    Green  lived   not   far  from 
Charlestown,  concluded  to  put  up  with  him 


BLIAS    SMITH.  223 

that  night.  After  riding  several  miles,  I  came 
to  his  house,  but  was  quite  disappointed  in 
the  man  ;  for  he  appeared  very  different  from 
what  he  did  in  Brentwood,  when  he  describ- 
ed Ziou's  King  on  a  colt  the  foal  of  an  ass. 

His  head  was  powdered,  and  the  com- 
mencement took  up  his  attention.  He  partly 
asked  me  to  stop  till  morning,  and  necessity 
led  me  to  accept  all  the  invitation  he  gave  me. 
I  felt  very  uneasy  that  night,  and  wished  for 
morning,  that  I  might  find  a  country  preach- 
er, in  finding  my  brother  Thomas  Baldwin^ 
whom  I  loved  above  all  men  on  earth.  About 
ten  o'clock  in  the  morning  I  passed  over 
Charlestown  bridge,  and  soon  entered  the 
borders  of  Boston,  which  then  was  in  my 
view  a  great  and  important  affair.  I  soon 
found  brother  Baldwin's  house,  and  at  the 
door  enquired- for  him.  He  came  to  the  door 
in  his  morning  gown,  and  with  a  smiling 
countenance  gave  me  his  hand,  calling  me 
brother,  and  invited  me  into  his  house,  bid- 
ding me  welcome  there.  He  was  very  differ- 
ent from  Mr.  Green.  He  put  op  my  horse,. 
*aid  he  was  heartily  glad  to  see  me,  hoped 
1  would  feel  at  home,  &c.  He  soon  proposed 
for  me  to  preach  at  his  meeting-house  that 
evening,  and  the  people  were  notified. 

Heaving  much  of  Doctor  Samuel  Stillman, 
on  account  of  his  great  knowledge,  eloquence 
&c.  I  had  a  great  desire  to  see  him  ;  hear  him 
talk,  pray  and  preach.  In  the  afternoon  he 
came  in.  His  appearance  struck  me  with 
ft  we.     He  was  a  small  man,  bui  he  looked 


2J84.  Lir£  of 

large  to  me.  He  was  dressed  in  black,  wore 
a  large  white  wig,  and  three  cornered  hat. 
He  looked  as  neat  as  is  easy  to  be  In  a  dirty 
world.  He  was  very  free  in  conversation, 
and  among  many  other  things,  be  related  a 
circumstance  which  occured  in  his  meeting- 
bouse  when  he  first  came  to  Boston,  He 
said  he  was  preaching  one  afternoon  upon 
grace,  aud  in  the  midst  of  his  discourse  a 
man  in  the  gallery  rose  up,  threw  out  his 
arms,  and  cried  aloud,  "  Free  grace !  free 
grace  !"  andsat  down  again.  After  meeting,, 
he  said,  the  man  came  to  him  to  apologise 
for  his  conduct,  saying,  "  the  glory  of  grace 
shone  so  bright  in  his  soul,  that  he  could  not 
tefrain  from  crying  out  as  he  did."  The 
Doctor,  thought  it  a  very  extraordinary  cir- 
cumstance, that  a  common  christian  should 
feel  so  much  as  to  be  led  to  speak  in  a  meet- 
ing-house; though  David  had  said,  "In  his 
temple  every  one  speaketh  of  his  goodness," 
and  Isaiah  said,  "  Cry  out  and  shout  thou 
inhabitant  of  Zion,  for  great  is  the  Holy  One 
in  the  midst  of  thee/"  After  a  short  conver- 
sation, he  left  us  saying,  he  should  attend 
the  evening  meeting. 

Through  the  whole  afternoon  my  mind  was- 
greatly  agitated  on  account  of  agreeing  to 
preach  in  Boston,  as  I  then  thought,  through 
ignorance,  that  Boston  folks  knew  more  than 
country  people.  In  the  evening  the  Doctor 
e  me,  and  we  all  went  to  meeting  together. 
As  soon  as  I  entered  the  door,  the  chandelier 
took   my   attention,  and   ou   ascending  the 


ELIAS    SMITH.  %Z§ 

pulpit  stairs,  the  damask  curtains,  cushing 
and  silver  candlesticks,  set  me  to  gazing,  as 
these  were  all  new  things  to  me,  such  as  I 
had  never  before  seen.  Brother  Baldwin 
told  me  in  the  afternoon,  that  I  had  plain 
people  to  preach  to,  and  many  young  converts/ 
who  delighted  in  plain  preaching ;  he  also 
told  me  some  country  preachers  were  apt  to 
speak  too  long.  All  this  did  not  make  me 
free,  for  I  felt  as  though  my  whole  body  and 
nftml  was  i  i  a  state  of  close  coniinement.  After 
siting  and  praying,  I  read  the  following 
for  my  text,  Psalru,  cxix.  116,  ''And  let  me 
not  he  ashamed  of  my  hope  ;"  and  attended  to 
the  following  particulars.  1.  The  christian'* 
hope.  2.  The  various  ways  in  which  they 
were  often  ashamed  of  their  hope.  8.  The 
importance  of  this  prayer  of  David,  u  Let 
me  not  be  ashamed  of  my  hope."  I  spake 
about  forty  five  minute?,  and  closed. 

or  setting  down,  I  whispered  to  brother 
Baldwin  to  ask  D6ct6r  S.Hhnan  to  pray. 
He  ro*e  up  in  the  pulpit,  and  the  first  word* 
he  spake  were  these ;  <* O  Lord,  we  are 
ashamed  before  thee,  when  we  consider  bow 
often  before  men  we  have  been  ashamed  of 
9#r  hope  V'  He  poured  forth  his  words  with 
the  greatest  ease,  and  in  chat  short  sentence 
comprehended  all  I  had  said  in  forty  live 
liiimues. 

A    n  was  appointed  for  me  the  next 

evei  Doctor  Stillman's  meeting-house. 

The  day  before  that  meeting  I  spent  chiefly 
in  viewing  the  different   parts  of  the   townA 


220  1IFE    OF 

in  company  with  Mr.  Baldwin,  who  shewed 
me  many  things  which  were  a  great  curiosity 
to  one  brought  up  in  the  wilderness  of  Ver- 
mont. In  the  evening  a  large  congregation 
gathered  to  hear  the  young  stranger.  I 
spake  upon  these  words.  Col.  iii.  11,  "But 
Christ  is  all  \'9  and  attended  to  two  particu- 
lars. 1.  Described  Christ.  3.  Shewed  bow 
he  was  all  to  believers.  I  spake  upon  these 
two  particulars  thirty  minutes.  Several  of 
the  young  people  came  into  Mr.  Baldwin's. 
house  after  meeting,  and  complained  that  the 
sermon  was  too  short.  Doctor  Stillman  on 
keafing  what  they  said,  replied,  "  that  was 
a  good  fault  in  young  preachers,  and  that  it 
was  better  to  leave  people  longing  than  loath- 
ing; and  that  people  ought  always  to  be  left 
with  a  good  appetite." 

Having  obtained  Mr.  Baldwin's  promise 
to  attend  the  ordination,  I  returned,  and  on 
the  way,  preachecPat  Elder  Smith's  meeting- 
house in  Haverhill,  had  but  little  freedom 
there,  as  I  thought  there  was  more  form  than 
spirit. 

As  my  place  of  residence  was  in  Lee,  the 
people  requested  me  to  be  ordained  there. 
This  was  agreed  on,  and  general  notice  giv- 
en. At  the  time  appointed,  (the  third  Wed- 
nesday in  August,  1792.)  a  very  great  com- 
pany of  people  met  on  the  occasion.  Mr.  Bald- 
win thought  there  were  about  three  thousand 
people.  At  ten  o'clock  in  the  forenoon,  the 
Elders  and  brethren  met  in  deacon  Martin's 
house,  and  formed  themselves  into  what  (hey 


ELIA.S    SMITH.  22? 

called  an  ecclesiastical  council.  Elder  Thomas 
Baldwin  was  chosen  moderator,  and  Elder 
William  Hooper,  I  think,  was  chosen  clerk. 
All  this  being  done,  they  proceeded  accord- 
ins;  to  the  order  of  the  baptist  denomination. 
There  was  nothing  said  about  the  order  of  the 
new-testament  ;  it  is  not  likely  that  any  one 
in  the  council  thought  of  that,  and  I  am  cer- 
tain it  never  entered  my  mind  ;  because  it  was 
a  fixed  point  with  me  that  the  baptists  order 
was  in  all  things  according  to  the  scriptures 
of  truth.  The  first  thing  in  order,  after 
choosing  the  moderater  and  clerk,  was,  for 
me  to  give  the  reason  of  ray  hope  in  Christ. 
Next  my  call  to  preach  the  gospel. 

After  this  I  was  examined  closely  concern- 
ing the  doctrine  believed.  A  report  had  gotten 
into  circulation  that  I  denied  the  imputation 
of  Christ's  righteousness,  as  the  matter  of  a 
sinner's  justification  ;  this  Elder  H.  Sulith, 
of  Haverhill  had  heard  of,  and  though  he  did 
not  attend,  yet  he  was  particular  to  tell  Capt. 
Dow,  who  was  sent  by  that  church,  not  to 
assist  in  my  being  ordained,  if  the  imputation 
of  Christ's  righteousness  was  denied.  This 
was  brought  before  the  council,  and  talked 
much  upon.  I  told  the  council,  that  Christ 
himself  was  the  righteousness,  in  which  a 
person  was  accepted  in  the  eight  of  God,  and 
that  Paul  held  the  same,  and  quoted  them 
Rom.  x.  4,  «  For  Christ  is  the  eud  of  the 
law  for  righteousness,  to  every  one  that  be- 
lieve th."  1  Cor.  i.  30,  "  But  of  him  are  ye 
in  Christ  Jesus,  who  of  God  is  made  unto  us, 
wisdom  and  righteousness/' 


%%&  LIFE   #F 

After  much  talk,  Elder  Baldwin  told  the 
council,  if  his  brother  held  that  Christ  was 
the  righteousness,  that  was  enough,  Kir  said 
he,  Christ  is  all,  and  the  prophet  Jeremiah 
said  :  "  His  name  shall  be  called  the  Lord 
our  righteousness."  Jer.  xxiii.  6.  This  end- 
ed the  matter,  and  the  council  agreed  that 
they  had  an  evidence  of  my  being  converged 
to  God,  called  to  preach  the  gospel,and  sound 
in  the  faith.  This  being  done,  the  next  thing 
in  order  was,  to  assign  to  each  one  the  part 
he  was  to  take  in  the  ordination.  It  was  a- 
greed  that  brother  Baldwin  should  preach  the 
sermon,  and  make  the  ordaining  prayer  ;  Doc 
tor  Shepard  give  the  charge,  and  brother 
Baldwin  give  the  right  hand  of  fellowship. 

All  this  being  done,  at  two  o'clock,we  went 
to  the  place  appointed  to  perform  what  was 
agreed  on  by  the  council.  As  but  a  small 
part  of  the  people  could  get  into  the  meeting, 
house  ;  a  stage  was  built  on  the  plain  before 
the  meeting-house  in  Lee,  large  enough  to 
hold  the  ministers.  It  being  a  fair  day,  the 
people  gathered  round  the  stage  to  hear. 
Brother  Baldwin  preached  from,  2  Tim.  iv. 
fi,  "  But  watch  thou  in  all  things,  endure 
afflictions,  do  the  work  of  an  evangelist, make 
full  proof  of  thy  ministry"  He  described 
an  evangelist,  as  to  his  call  and  qualifications  ; 
his  work,  and  the  afflictions  he  must  endure 
in  making  full  proof  of  his  ministry.  He  de- 
livered a  good,  scriptural,  spiritual  discourse ; 
suitable  to  the  occasion,  and  took  off  ihc  un- 
converted minister*  severely. 


ELIAS    SMITH.  223 

In  speaking  upon  the  necessity  of  regener- 
ation, 4n  order  to  preach  the  gospel,  he  said 
thiil  some,  to  prove  that  unconverted  ministers 
might  preach  tiie  gospel,  brought  up  Balaam 
and  Judas  for  examples.  "  I  should  be  a- 
ghajned,  said  he,  to  he  in  so  bad  a  cau^e,  as 
to  need  Balaam  and  Judas  to  bear  me  out  in 
my  conduct.  It  is  true,  added  he,  that  Balaam 
prophesied  of  Christ,  but  he  loved  the  wages 
of  unrighteousness,  and  Was  a  cloud  without 
water,  to  whom  is  reserved  the  mist  of  black- 
ness, and  darkness  forever.  As  for  Judas, 
said  he,  though  he  obtained  part  of  the  min- 
istry, yet  in  a  short  time  he  was  hung  by  the 
neck,  with  a  bag  of  money  \inder  his  arm. 
Away  with  such  preachers  as  these,  and  such 
as  plead  their  examples  to  prove  that  uncon- 
verted men  may  preach  the  gospel  of  the  grace 
of  God  I"  Such  preaching  at  that  day  made 
rending  work,  among  the  friends  of  uncon- 
verted ministers.  The  discourse  in  general 
was  calculated  to  do  good.  After  sermon, 
the  other  parts  were  attended  to,  according 
to  the  best  light  the  ministers  had  at  that  day. 
The  people  were  satisfied,  and  departed  in 
peace. 

After  the  ordination  was  over,  brother 
Baldwin  conversed  with  me  respecting  what 
was  said  in  the  council  about  righteousness, 
and  stated  to  me  that  he  held  as" I  did  about 
righteousness,  and  had  for  many  years. 


U 


330  LIFE    OF 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 

* 
When  the  ordination  was  over,  brother 
Baldwin  uid  the  brother  that  came  with  him 
from  Boston,  Thomas  Badger,  Doctor  Shep- 
ard,  and  several  others  went  to  brother  Fur- 
bers  house,  which  was  my  home.  After  sup- 
per. Doctor  Shephard,  who  was  naturally  a 
cheerful  man,  told  a  story  respecting  an  In- 
dian, which  he  wished  me  e\:r  to  remember, 
lest  I  should  be  too  much  lifted  up  on  account 
of  the  notice<taken  of  me  by  the  Elders,  breth- 
ren and  others.  He  said  that  a  certain  In- 
dian having  a  river  to  cross  in  his  canoe, 
thought  to  save  the  trouble  of  paddling  across 
the  river,  by  sticking  up  a  bush  in  the  bow  of 
his  boat.  When  about  two  thirds  across  the 
river,  the  wind  blew  so  hard  that  it  upset  his 
canoe,  and  was  obliged  to  swim  to  reach  the 
shore,  while  his  boat  floated  down  the  stream. 
Several  people  on  the  shore  saw  the  difficulty 
lie  was  in,  and  as  soon  as  he  was  upon  the 
land,  they  asked  him,  what  was  the  cause  of 
his  swimming,  instead  of  coining  in  his  canoe. 
**  0,  said  he,  me  carry  too  much  bush  !" 
"  Now,  said  the  Doctor,  you  are  a  young 
man,  and  just  set  out  in  the  world  :  you  will 
do  well  enough,  if  you  do  not  carry  too  much 
bush. "  This  caution  1  have  ever  remember- 
ed, and  had  this  been  attended  to  by  me  and 
many  others,  we  should  have  Been  much  more 
useful  in  the  world,  and  saved  ourselves  and 
others  much  trouble. 


KLIAS    SMITH.  531 

I  here  leave  a  word  to  young  preachers, 
and  old  ones  in  particular,  which  is,  "  that 
they  do  not  carry  too  much  bush."  There  is 
some  danger  of  young  men  ;  more  in  the  old. 
In  the  coarse  of  twenty-five  years,  I  have 
seen  that  more  old  preachers  fall  than  young, 
or  carry  too  much  bush,  and  upset.  This  is 
true  among  the  clergy,  and  those  who  profess 
to  preach  experimentally.  It  is  not  common 
to  see  a  young  man  fall  by  drunkenness,  a- 
dultery,  extortion,  kc.  but  how  many  old 
men  do  we  see  upset  in  this  way.  One  thing 
has  for  many  years  been  a  matter  of  lamenta- 
tion to  me  ;  that  is,  to  see  a  man  arrive  with 
an  unspotted  character,  to  an  age,  when  his 
knowledge^  experience,  labor,  example,  and 
time  of  lii'e  might  render  him  more  useful  than 
he  had  ever  been  ;  and  at  that  time;  do  that 
which  not  only  proved  him  the  greatest  fool, 
but  which  destroyed  all  his  usefulness  ;  griev- 
ed the  good,  gave  the  adversary  occasion  to 
speak  reproachfully,  and  sunk  himself  into 
disgrace  and  contempt  !  Who  are  the  men, 
generally  speaking,  among  the  settled  clergy, 
and  others,  that  are  turned  out  for  drinking, 
adultery,  and  other  wickedness  ?  They  arc 
generally  men  past  the  meridian  of  life.  Who 
are  the  self  willed  and  soon  ansfry  ?  Not 
young  men  generally.  Who  are  the  minis- 
ters that  are  fond  of  high  sounding,  anti- 
christian  titles,  and  gay  attire  ?  They  are 
generally  men  old  enough  to  set  a  better  ex- 
ple.  Who  are  the  men  that  can  neverhave 
enough  ?     Who  threaten  to  leave  the  town, 


§33  LIFE    OF 

or  church,  if  they  do  not  give  them  more  mo»- 
ey  ?  This  is  not  commonly  done  by  young 
men.  Old  ministers  sue  the  town  for  a  few 
hundred  dollars,  after  they  have  been  sup- 
ported* till  old  age  has  rendered  them  useless, 
and  a  burden  grievous  to  be  borne.  Old  men 
are  often  more  confident  in  their  own  opinion, 
than  seven  men  that  can  render  a  reason. 
These  tilings  are  facts,  that  can  be  supported 
by  the  scriptures,  and  what  takes  place  in  our 
day. 

When  Saul  was  young,  and  fit  to  rule,  he 
hid  himself  among  the  shift* ;  but  when  he 
was  ©Id,  and  unfit  to  rule,  bv  forsaking  the 
Lord  :  then  he  sought  to  slay  David,  because 
the  daughters  of  Israel  ascribed  ten  times  the 
honor  to  him,  that  they  did  to  Saul.  When 
David  was  young,  he  felt  his  denendance,  and 
trusted  in  the  Lord  ;  but^vhen  he  was  old, 
rich,  and  in  authority,  he  committed  crimes 
which  caused  him  ever  after  to  go  with  brok- 
en bones.  When  Solomon  was  young,  he 
prayed  for  wisdom,  and  had  it  to  that  degree, 
that  the  kings  of  the  earth  sought  after  him, 
on  account  of  it.  When  he  was  old,  then  he 
forsook  God,  and  became  such  a  fool,  that  he 
bowed  his  knees  to  an  idol  to  please  his  wives, 
and  gratify  a,  foolish  heart.  When  Cyrus  was 
young,  he  was  temperate  in  food  and  drink, 
and  plain  in  his  dress  ;  but  when  he  was  old, 
and  had  taken  Babylon  :  he  lived  in  all  the 
grandeur  of  the  kings  of  the  east.  Youi 
men  are  commonly  liberal,  and  it  \i 
common  thing  to  see  old  men  covetous.  Young 


ELIAS    SMITH. 

men  who  have  many  years  before  them,  are 
bin  little  concerned  about  a  living.  Old  men, 
who  cannot  live  long,  are  concerned  about  a 
living,  and  call  for  more  salary.  The  cause 
of  all  these  things  is,  they  carry  too  much 
bush.  I  leave  the  story,  and  the  remarks  on 
it  to  the  reader,  and  pursue  my  history. 

In  East-Kingston,  and  South-Hampton, 
there  had  been  many  converted  to  (rod  in  the 
course  of  this  summer  ;  who  waited  for  me  to 
baptise  them.  The  day  after  being  ordained, 
I  rode  in  company  with  Mr.  Baldwin  to 
Kingston  plain  ;  there  we  parted.  He  went 
on  to  Haverhill  that  day,  and  I  to  my  appoint- 
ment in  East-Kingston. 

After  preaching,  I  baptised  three.  The 
name  of  the  first  baptised,  was  Reuben  Dow  ; 
the  second  was  Henry  Gale.  They  both  now 
live  near  the  place  where  they  were  baptised, 
and  have  both  in  a  good  degree,  maintained 
their  profession  to  this  day,  with  many  oth- 
ers who  were  baptised  at  that  time,  or  soon 
after. 

Either  this  year,  in  September,  1792,  or 
the  September  before,  the  Warren  association 
of  baptists,  was  holden  at  New-Jhowley,  X 
about  ten  miles  from  Newbury  port.     In  tfa 

ociation,  which  I  attended,  Elder  Hezekiah 
Smith,  of  Haverhill,  brought  forward  a  kind 
of  bill,  or  proposal,  which  I  believe  was  the 
first  of  the  kind,  in  which  was  state*)  the  pro- 
priety of  incorporating  baptist  churches  and 
societies,  in  order  to  oblige  people  to  pay 
>vhat  they  had  agreed  to  give  theii  minister 

La 


234  LIFE    OF 

if  they  refused  to  do  it  voluntarily.  He  wa^ 
a  rich  man  ;  had  been  in  the  habit,  of  taking 
notes  of  such  as  owed  him  for  preaching, 
and  did  not  pay  at  the  end  of  the  year,  as  I 
understood.  Since  that  time  I  have  seen  one 
of  the  notes  a  member  of  the  society  gave  him 
for  preaching.  This  proposal  met  with  a 
spirited  opposition  from  the  ministers  and  oth- 
er members.  He  stated  that  it  was  no  hurt 
to  have  lawr  enough  to  make  people  fulfil  their 
contracts.  After  much  dispute  upon  the  sub- 
ject, old  Elder  Isaac  Backus,  from  Middle- 
borough,  Mass.  who  was  the  oldest  in  the  as- 
sociation, rose,  and  began  an  account  of  what 
had  happened  to  him  and  others,  in  conse- 
quence of  such  power  in  other  denominations, 
and  before  he  had  done,  the  proposal  appear- 
ed so  blade  and  anti-christian,  that  it  was 
thrown  out  for  that  year.  It  was  however 
brought  up  afterwards,  and  the  society  at 
Haverhill  was  incorporated,  and  from  this  it 
spread,  till  cattle  and  horses  were  taken  by 
force  to  pay  baptist  ministers  for  preaching. 

In  the  course  of  this  summer,  several  ia 
Salisbury,  N.  H.  where  the  new  baptist  meet- 
ing-house was  built,  wished  to  be  baptised, 
and  join  the  baptist  church  in  Brentwood. 
Doctor  Shepard  went  to  baptise  them,  and  I 
attended  with  him.  After  we  met  to  hear  the 
reason  of  their  hope  in  Christ,  Mr  Thomas 
Worcester,  the  congregational  minister  of  the 
town,  sent  a  man,  directing  him  to  tell  Doctor 
Shepard,  that  if  he  baptised  any,  he  wished 
him  to  go  out  of  town  to  do  it  ;  as  he  w?s  a  * 


ELIAS    SMITH.  235 

fraid  it  would  binder  the  reformation  there,  to 
baptise  in  the  town.  The  Doctor,  who  was  a 
man  of  good  sense,  and  ready  thought,  after 
hearing  the  message,  said,  "  you  tell  parson 
Worcester,  that  I  am  an  older  man  than  he,  and 
have  seen  more  of  the  world  ;  and  that  I  nev- 
er knew  an  instance  in  baptising  according  to 
the  scriptures,  that  the  work  of  God  was  hin- 
dered by  it,  unless  it  was  done  by  the  minis- 
ter of  the  town."  The  messenger  appear- 
ed thunder-struck,  and  retired  in  silence, 
leaving  theDoctor  to  obey  his  masters  orders 
undisturbed. 

The  September  after  being  ordained,  I  at- 
tended the  Woodstock  association.  Doctor 
Shepard  attended  among  the  many.  The  eve- 
ning of  our  arrival  in  the  town,  a  meeting  was 
appointed  for  Elder  David  Irish,  from  Still- 
water. N.  Y.  He  read  for  his  text  the  fol- 
lowing :  "  The  whole  need  not  a  physician, 
but  they  that  are  sick."  He  proposed,  1.  To 
describe  the  diseases  peculiar  to  men.  2.  The 
physician.  3.  The  importance  of  applying 
to  him.  He  spake  a  few  minutes  upon  the 
first  particular,  under  some  embarrassments  ; 
and  finally  said,  Brother  Smith,  I  wish  you 
would  speak  upon  the  subject,  for  I  cannot. 
Thus  speaking,  he  sat  down.  This  was  the 
first  time  of  my  seeing  a  minister  on  shore 
high  and  dry.  All  pitied,  but  none  could 
relieve  him.  I  spake  upon  his  propositions 
as  well  as  my  abilities  would  allow.  Others 
spake  afterwards,  aud  the  meeting  closed, 


S36  LIFE    OF 

The  first  day  of  the   association,    a  man 
from    Middleborough,  Vfc  by   the  name    of 
Sylvanus  Haynes,   preached  from  Acts  xvii. 
30,    "But  now  commandcth  all   men   every 
where  to  repent."     He  spake  upon  two  par- 
ticulars.    1.  The  command,  repent.     8.  The 
reason  of  this  command.     In  speaking   upon 
the   reason  why  God   commanded  all   men 
every  where  to  repent,  he  stated  the  follow- 
ing particulars    as   the  reason.     1.  Because 
our  revolt  from  God  was  entirely  groundless. 
2.  Because  the  impenitent  were  unhappy,  and 
unsafe.     3.  Because    God   had   provided    a 
way  by  which  the  penitent  might  be  pardon- 
ed, and  brought  into  favor  with  God.     4.  Be- 
cause none  but  the  penitent  could  enjoy  God, 
here  or  hereafter.     6.  Because  God  had  ap- 
pointed a  day  to  judge  the    impenitent   by 
Jesus  Christ,  and  all  who  remained  impeni- 
tent would  then  perish.     His  discourse  was 
solemn,  and  his    arguments    weighty.     One 
young  man,    after  hearing  the  sermon,   said, 
"  I  am  very  certain  that  if  I  am  lost  forever, 
it  will  be  my  own  fault. 1?     The  second  day, 
Boctor  Shepard   preached   the   greatest  and 
best  sermon,  I  ever  heard  him  deliver.     His 
text  was  this  :  iTim.  iv.  8,  "  But  godliness 
is  profitable  unto  all  things  ;  having  promise 
of  the  life  that  now  is,  and  of  that  which  is  to 
come."  He  first  described  godliness.  Second, 
shewed  wherein  it  was  profitable,  as  it  respect- 
ed  young    and    old,  parents    and  children, 
rich  and  poor,  magistrates  and    subjects,    the 
healthy  and  the  dying,  and  particularly,   its 


ELIA9    SMITH.  £3^ 

profitableness,  in  having  connected  with  it, 
tiie  promise  of  the  life  that  now  is,  and  that 
wiiM  li  is  to  come*  All  bore  him  witness^ 
an  I  marvelled  at  the  gracious  words  that  pro- 
out  of  his  mouth.  This  was  a  time  of 
refreshing  from  the  presence  of  the  Lord.  The 
meeting  closed,  leaving  a  lasting  impression  on 
ds  of  many. 

&oon  after  the  association  I  returned  to 
Lee,  and  preached  there,  and  among  the  breth- 
ren in  the  regions  around,  and  frequently, 
baptised  s  ich  as  gave  an  evidence  of  being 
believers  in  heart. 

This  season,  1  visited  Novihwood  several 
tLnes  ;  a  town  about -eight  miles  north  of  Lee. 
There  were  glorious  reformations  that  year 
in  different  parts  of  the  town,  and  many  were 
converted  to  God.  At  one  meeting  nine  were 
baptised  by  Elder  Pilshury.  One  circum- 
;ce  at  .the  water  I  remember,  which  is 
worthy  of  being  recorded  here.  As  the  El- 
der led  one  man  to  the  edge  of  the  water,  by 
the  name  of  Knowles,  he  stopped  and  said  to 
the  Eider,  "  wait  a  minute."  He  then  raised 
up  his  hands  and  said,  with  a  loud  voice  : 
''O  Lord,  thou  hast  made  me,  thou  hast  pre- 
served me,  and  redeemed  me.  I  now  deliver 
myself  to  thee,  to  be  thine  forever  ;  lead  me, 
preserve  me  through  this  vain  world,  and 
keep  me  safe  unto  thy  heavenly  kingdom, 
and  thy  great  name  shall  have  all  the  praise 
forever.  Amen  and  Amen."  This  short, 
solemn,  and  comprehensive  prayer,  brought 
ity  on  the  minds  of  many  who   stood 


238  LIFE    OF 

around,  and  every  word  was  fixed  in  my 
memory.  After  this,  the  Elder  led  him  into 
the  water,  and  baptised  him  after  the  exam- 
ple of  the  King  of  saints. 

Not  far  from  this  time,  I  went  to  Candia, 
and  preached  at  Joseph  Palmers  house. 
Mr.  Remington,  whom  I  met  at  brother  H. 
Burgiirs,  attended  the  meeting.  Previous  to 
this  meeting,  I  had  heard  that  he  was  much 
opposed  to  the  reformation,  and  said,  that 
what  some  called  the  work  of  God,  he  called 
the  work  of  the  devil.  In  my  prayer,  I 
men-ioned  Lint,  as  one  that  appeared  to  be 
opposed  to  this  work.  After  the  meeting  was 
done,  he  told  the  people,  the  preacher  had 
called  him  an  oppo*er  to  the  work  of  God. 
1  denied  his  statement.  He  then  appealed 
to  brother  H.  Burgin,  who  was  present.  He 
said  he  believed  it  was  not  so.  I  then  told 
him  that  my  statement  was,  that  he  appeared 
to  be  opposed  to  this  work,  and  that  I  heard 
he  called  it  the  work  of  the  devil,  and  that 
he  was  opposed  to  it,  whether  it  was  God's 
work  or  the  devil's.  Here  he  paused  awhile, 
and  then  said,  with  a  stern  voice,  and  hard 
look:  "  Mr.  Smith,  you  have  no  business 
here  in  my  parish."  My  reply  was  ;  "  Sir 
I  am  not  in  your  parish,  neither  have  I  been 
in  it  to  day  f9  and  further  added,  '-is  not  this 
man  a  baptist  that  lives  here  ?"  He  answered, 
"  I  suppose  he  is,  if  he  is  any  thing."  "Does 
he  own  this  house  and  land  ?"  He  said,"yes." 
"  Then  1  am  not  in  your  parish."  "Well," 
said  he,  "you   have  told  one   falshood; 


ELIAS    SMITH.  289 

said  you  bad  not  been  in  my  parish  to  day  ; 
and  you  could  not  get  here  without  coming 
through  my  parish."     My  reply  was,  "That 

q  mistake  sir,  I  came  in  the  road,  and  that 
does  not  belong  to  you,  but  to  the  public* 
Here  the  controversy  ended,  ami  by  this  time 
I  concluded  the  devil  had  caught  away  some 
of  the  word  sown  that  day.  Here  we  parted, 
raid  do  not  remember  that  we  ever  had  any 
conversation  together  afterwards.  I  heard 
that  he  said  afterwards,  that  Doctor  Sbepard, 
Elias  Smith  and  the  devil,  were  calculated  to 
do  more  hurt,  than  any  other  three  beings  h» 
was  acquainted  with. 

In  the  month  of  November,  the  same  year, 
the  people  in  Salisbury  sent  a  mau  to  Lee, 
requesting  me  to  come  there  to  preach  and 
baptise.  The  meeting  was  appointed  on 
Saturday  at  eleven  o'clock.  On  account  of 
the  rain  on  Friday,  I  could  get  no  farther  than 
A  liens  town  that  day.  Towards  day  on 
Saturday  morning,  I  set  out  for  Salisbury, 
which  was  about  thirty  miles  ;  rode  to  Con- 
cord, (ten  miles,)  by  sunrise,  and  arrived  in 
Salisbury  about  ten  o'clock.  Many  people 
had  gathered  to  hear  and  see.  Nine  came 
forward  in, the  meeting-house,  and  gave  the 
reason  of  their  hope  in  Christ,  and  were 
baptised  in  a  small  stream  near  the  meeting 
house,  at  a  place  on  Jonathan  Fifield's  laud, 
which  the  people  had  prepared  for  that  pur- 
pose. The  next  day  I  spake  to  a  crouded, 
and  attentive  assembly.  Many  in  the  assem- 
bly mourned  their    undone    situation,  and 


240  •  tlFE    OF 

others  rejoiced  in  Tiope  of  the  glory  of  Crod. 
An  happy  union  took  place  at  that  time^ 
"\vhich  continued  for  several  years,  and  with 
many  of  them  it  continues  to  this  day.  Hav- 
ing fulfilled  ray  appointments  in  Salisbury,  I 
returned  to  Lee. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

About  this  time,  there  arose  a  considerablt 
stir  about  what  some  called  election,  predes- 
tination, Calvinism,  and  hopkinsianism.  Not 
far  from  this  time,  Mr.  Samuel  Hopkins*  fa- 
mous book  came  out,  called  Hopkins'  body 
of  divinity.  This  made  no  small  stir.  This 
arrested  the  attention  of  the  calvinistic  bap- 
tists, with  many  others.  Joshua  Smith  had 
said  much  upon  Election,  though  he  preached 
a  free  gospel.  Elder  Benjamin  Randall,  a 
free-will  baptist  preacher,  began  to  be  known, 
and  by  the  other  baptists  was  considered  a 
very  erroneous  man.  Elder  William  Hoop- 
er, of  Madbury,  was  considered  an  orthodox 
preacher.  Dr.  Shepard,  was  by  many, 
thought  a  kind  of  mongrel  preacher  ;  neither 
a  calvinist  nor  free-will  preacher,  but  between 
them  both.  One  man  told  him  lie  rode  on 
the  tongue  of  the  cart.  He  said,  in  my  hear- 
ing, it  was  so,  and  that  being  there,  the  oxen 
could  not  kick  him,  nor  the  wheel  run  over 
him.  I  thought  afterwards  that  he  fared 
hard,  for  the  oxen  kicked  him  off,  and  the 
wheel  ran  over  him.     Amidst  all  that  w  a* 


£UAS    SMITH.  £4£ 

said,  it  seemed  duty  for  mc  to  be  decided 
about  the  matter,  as  it  was  by  many  consider- 
ed a  subject  of  vast  importance. 

Li  the  month  of  December,  1792,  having 
an  appointment  at  Deerfield,  I  concluded- to 
visit  Dr.  Shepard  on  the  way,  and  converse 
with  him  upon  the  subject.  At  his  house  we 
conversed  freely  upon  election.  He  was  very 
.careful  what  he  said  ;  but  the  amount  of  all 
I  could  get  from  him  was  this  :  "  God  gives 
that  to  some  which  he  owes  to  none."  This 
only  perplexed  my  mind.  On  Saturday  af- 
ternoon, on  my  way  alone,  my  thoughts  ran 
thus  upon  the  subject,  without  the  bible,  or 
attending  to  what  is  said  there  :  •*  If  Sod  has 
determined  any  thing,  he  has  determined  ev- 
ery thing  ;  and  if  he  has  foreordained  that  a 
certain  part  shall  be  saved,  he  has  designed 
the  remainder  for  something  ;  this  must  be 
for  damnation  ;  and  they  must  be  lost  as  cer- 
tainly, as  the  others  must  be  saved  ;  and  he 
who  is  the  cause  of  the  salvation  of  some,  ia 
the  cause  of  the  damnation  of  the  others. 
This  was  my  vain  philosophy  at  that  time, 
T:iis  I  concluded  was  true,  according  to  ray 
manner  of  reasoning. 

Upon  this  plan,  a  difficulty  arose  in  ray 
mind  which  was  this  :  "If  all  things  are 
thus  fixed,  why  are  all  men  commanded  to 
l^pant  and  believe  the  gospel  ?  And  why  is 
fi  Uation  promised  to  them  that  believe,  and 
d  i  uniiion  determined  to  themihat  disbelieve? 
My  philosophy  answered  these  questions  in 
a  short  .time,  in  the  following  manner  : 
W 


&4&  LIFE    QI 

"Though  G-od  has  determined  that  a  certain 
part  shall  be  saved  ;  yet  he  has  determined 
they  shall  be  saved  through  faith  in  Christ ; 
and  though  God  has  determined  some  shall 
be  damned,  yet  he  m  determined  they  shall 
fee  damned  for  unbelief.  Some  shall  believe, 
all  might  believe,  though  they  will  not.  In 
this  way  I  can  preach  the  gospel  to  every 
creature,  and  as  I  do  not  know  who  the  elect 
are,  must  do  my  duty  in  preaching  to  all, 
and  the  Lord  knows  how  to  select  his  own 
from  among  the  non- elect."  Here  my  mind 
was  for  several  years,  until  the  infection  I 
took  thai  afternoon,  broke  out  universalism, 
about  ten  years  after,  and  was  thoroughly 
cured  by  applying  the  "  root  of  Jessee,"  to 
the  wound  that  it  caused. 

Having  the  system  so  fixed  in  my  mind,  as 
to  be  able  to  preach  to  all,  I  always  kept  it 
for  ballast,  and  never  considered  it  a  part  of 
my  cargo.  Some  doubted  whether  I  had 
any  of  it  on  board,  but  as  they  descended  low, 
they  always  found  some  of  it.  By  keeping 
my  fatalism  so,  I  ever  preached  a  free  gospel 
to  all,  and  this  was  frequently  blest  to  many, 
w  bile  my  Calvinism  for  ballast  preserved  my 
reputation  among  the  calvinists,  who  consid- 
ered me  sound  in  their  faith.  This  terrible 
doctrine  of  men,  I  held  about  ten  years,  and 
then  signed  an  acquittance  forever,  to  tht 
great  grief  of  its  friends  and  admirers. 

On  the  seventh  of  January,  1  93,  I  was 
married  to  Mary  Burleigh,  fifth  daughter 
/>f  Josiah  Burleigh  of  Newmarket,  county  of 


ELIA&   SMITH.  243 

Rockingham,  state  of  Newhampshire.  I  was 
then  twenty  tbree  years,  six  months,  and 
twenty  one  days  old.  My  wife  was  born, 
May  twenty-fourth,  1/73.  The  day  we 
were  married,  she  was  nineteen  years,  seven 
months,  and  thirteen  days  oh!.  We  were 
married  by  Doctor  Samuel  Shepard,  a  baptist 
preacher,  of  Brentwood,  NT.  if.  Vf  e  lived  in 
a  married  state,  twenty  one  years,  Gne  month, 
and  twenty,  days.  Fehuary  &f,  18  i 4,  she 
died  of  th^  typhus  fever  in  Philadelphia. 
We  lived  together  but  a  small  part  of  twenty- 
one  years  ;  as  my  work  was  to  travel  and 
preach,  I  was  gone  from  home  a  considerable 
part  of  that  time.  We  lived  in  haonony 
through  the  whole  time,  and  she  was  a  faith- 
ful friend  to  me,  the  children,  my  interest, 
reputation,  and  the  cause  of  religion,  and  en- 
dured through  many  scenes  of  trouble  which 
we  were  called  to  experience  in  the  course  of 
twenty-one  years.  When  we  were  married, 
all  the  property  I  owned,  was  an  horse,  sad- 
dle and  bridle,  sleigh,  and  my  clothes. 

Being  but  little  acquainted  with  life,  I  was 
ignorant  of  the  difficulties  people  are  called 
to  encounter,  and  having  been  always  provi- 
ded for,  had  no  doubt,  but  "  the  Lord  would 
provide"  in  time  to  come.  This  has  been 
proved  true  to  the  present  time.  I  then  en- 
joyed a  kind  of  independence  from  men,  not 
because  of  so  much,  but  because  I  could  live 
upon  so  little. 

Iu  the  month  of  January,  sev  eral  people  in 
Effingham,  N.  H.  who  had  been  baptised  by 


244  LIFE    OF 

Elder  Taylor  of  that  town,  sent  to  Brents 
wood,  requesting  the  baptist  church  there,  to 
send  an  Elder  and  brethren  to  constitute  them 
a  branch  of  the  Brentwood  church  ;  that  bting 
a  method  adopted  by  Doctor  Shepard,  where 
there  were  small  companies  of  brethren  in  a 
distant  town.  With  me  weie  chosen,  breth- 
ren, Broacfstreet  Oilman,  of  Newmarket,  and 
Deacon  Moses  Clark,  of  Stratham.  We  ar- 
rived at  Effingham,  about  the  first  of  February. 
The  Elder  and  brethren  there  were  considered 
by  us  a  branch  of  the  Brentwood  church,  in 
fellowship  with  the  whole  body.  After  sev- 
eral preaching  meetings,  we  returned  back  to 
•ur'  places  of  abode. 

In  the  course  of  this  winter,  Joshua  Smith 
went  to  Bow,  a  town  on  Merrimack  river, 
and  preached  some  time.  A  considerable 
Bumber  were  converted  to  God,  and  bapiised 
according  to  the  new-testament.  John  Bry- 
ant Esq.  first  invited  him  there.  A  lies 
rested  on  hinv  and  his  family.  Four  of  his 
daaghters  were  the  happy  sharers  in  the  re- 
formation. One  is  dead,  the  others  for  ought 
I  know,  continue  in  obedience  to  the  gospel  to 
this  day.  The  latter  part  of  February,  I  vis- 
ited them,  and  found  an  happy  number  unit- 
ed in  love  ;  walking  in  the  ordinances  of  the 
Lord  blameless.  From  Bow  1  went  to  Salis- 
bury by  request,  tarried  and  preached  with 
them  certain  days.  The  church  and  society 
pressed  me  hard  to  make  my  home  with  them; 
as  I  expected  to  make  some  town  the  plac* 
of  my  permanent  residence  in  the  spring. 


ELIAS    SMITH.  245 

fSKving  tliem  some  encouragement,  I  return- 
ed to  Newmarket  in  March,  promising  to  give 
them  a  final  answer  in  April.  As  to  outward 
things  there  was  something  to  engage  my  at- 
tention there.  They  had  a  new  meeting- 
house completely  finished:  The  society  was 
large,  rich,  and  liberal ;  and  proposed  to  give 
me  two  hundred  dollars  per  year  ;  find  me  an 
house  and  wood.  There  was  a  prospect  Gf 
doing  good  in  that  town  and  hi  many  towns 
around  who  wished  to  hear  baptist  preachers. 
The  chief  objection  was,  that  it  was  too  far 
back  in  the  country,  as  my  choice  was  to  live 
near  the  sea  ;  and  another  thing  of  consider- 
able weight,  which  was,  that  of  leaving  so 
many  good  brethren  in  the  eastern  part  of  the 
state.  After  my  return,  I  stated  to  the  brethren 
the  request  of  the  people  in  Salisbury.  They 
were  universally  against  my  making  an  home 
in  that  town,  and  said  so  much  against  it,  that 
my  determination  was  not  to  go,  if  it  was  pos- 
sible to  get  off  fairly.  When  I  visited  them 
in  April,  they  were  so  determined  on  my  com- 
ing, that  there  was  no  way  to  get  clear,  and 
agreed  to  go  upon  this  condition  :  to  be  at 
liberty  to  return  in  six  months,  if  I  did  not 
choose  to  abide  with  them  any  longer. 

Just  before  that  time,  the  people  in  Warn- 
er,  about  eight  miles  from  Salisbury,  agreed 
to  build  a  meeting. house  ;  and  calculated  for 
me  to  preach  there  one  third  of  the  time,  and 
at  Salisbury  the  other  two  thirds.  This  the 
people  in  both  towns  were  agreed  in ;  and  to 
this  I  consented,  and  returned  to  give  a  decid- 


S46  LIFE    OF 

©d  answer  to  the  brethren  in  Lee,  and  the 
other  towns. 

When  they  heard  what  was  determined, 
they  were  greatly  grieved,  and  my  coming  at 
that  time  caused  general  sorrow  to  myself  and 
my  brethren.  The  last  of  April,  1793,  I 
preached  my  farewell  sermon,  at  Broadstreet 
Gilman's  house  ;  the  place  where  I  attended 
the  first  meeting  two  years  before.  My  text 
was  this  :  1  Pet.  v.  10,  "But  the  God  of  all 
grace,  who  hath  called  us  unto  his  eternal  glo- 
ry by  Jesus  Christ,  after  that  ye  have  suffer- 
ed a  while,  make  you  perfect,  stablish, 
strengthen,  settle  you."  We  parted  in  tears, 
iioping  for  one  meeting,  no  more  to  part, 

I  journeyed  to  Salisbury,  and  met  the  peo- 
ple at  the  day  appointed.  It  was  not  long 
before  my  labors  were  blest,  in  the  conver- 
sion of  many  to  God.  In  the  last  of  May,  I 
returned  to  Newmarket  with  a  friend  from 
Salisbury  who  accompanied  me.  My  \\Uq 
went  with  us  to  Salisbury,  and  we  lived  in 
Capt.  Benjamin  PettingilPs  family  six  weeks, 
before  our  furniture  came  on.  My  wife  was 
well  provided  with  furniture  by  her  father, 
who  was  both  able  and  willing  to  help  her. 

On  Saturday  evening,  the  furniture  was 
brought  at  the  expence  of  the  people  in  Salis- 
bury. Monday,  we  put  our  furniture  in  its 
place,  and  in  the  afternoon  left  our  boarding- 
house.  I  had  not  made  any  provision  for 
food  to  live  upon  :  depending  on  the  people 
to  supply  us;  nf  cru'se,  we  had  no  provision 
in  the   house   to  live  on.     Towards    flight, 


ELIAS    SMITH.  24# 

Reuben  True,  who  was  at  that  time  an  hear- 
ty friend  to  us,  brought  a  large  dry  codfish, 
as  a  present.  Mrs.  Fifield,  wife  of  Jonathan 
Fifield,  brought  us  half  of  a  loaf  of  flour 
bread,  and  about  one  pound  of  butter.  The 
committee  of  the  society  took  up  at  JEIiplialet 
William's  6tore,  some  crockery,  glass-ware, 
sugar,  tea  and  coffee,  to  the  amount  of  sixteen 
dollars.  With  all  these  things  we  were  well 
provided  with  food,  for  more  than  one  day  j 
this  was  enough  for  that  time,  and  we  were 
both  contented  with  on?  situation.  This  was 
indeed  a  small  beginning,  but  large  enough 
for  our  wants. 

At  that  time,  the  great  things  of  the  king- 
dom of  God  ;  the  glory  of  Christ  ;  the  sal- 
vation of  sinners  ;  and  my  duty  to  the  saints, 
took  up  my  attention  s«  that  there  was 
little  or  no  room  left,  to  desire  much  of  this 
world  ;*br  to  feel  distressed  about  what  we 
should  eat,  drink,  or  wherewithal  we  should 
be  clothed.  Through  that  summer,  the  work 
of  the  Lord  went  on  gloriously  in  Salisbury, 
Boscawen,  Warner,  Ajidover  and  New-Ches- 
ter.; so  that  my  time  was  almost  wholly  taken 
up  in  preaching  and  baptizing  in  these  towns. 
In  the  assembly  that  attended  at  Salisbury, 
from  Boscaweu  and^ndover,  were  many  wiip 
gave  an  evidence  of  being  born  of  the  spirit. 
In  the  course  of  one  year,  over  one  hundred 
were  converted  and  baptised  as  members  of 
that  church.  Our  meetings  were  remarkably 
free,  and  the  converts  often  spake,  prayed  and 
sung  ia  the  meeting-house :  while  all  wove  at- 


§48  -LIFE    OF 

tentive  to  hear  them.  The  attention  was  so 
great,  that  I  felt  contented  to  abide  with  them  ; 
and  when  my  engagement  for  six  months  was 
out,  I  agreed  to  continue  with  them  six  months 
longer  ;  determining  after  that  time  to  return 
to  the  eastern  part  of  the  state  again. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

In  the  course  of  the  summer,  1793,  some  of 
Mr.  Worcester's  ehurbh  left  him ;  were  bap- 
tised, and  became  members  of  the  baptist 
church.  This  greatly  disturbed  him,  and 
other  leaders  in  the  congregational  church. 
He  wrote  me  one  or  two  severe  letters,  but  I 
paid  no  attention  to  them.  He  then  wrote, 
requesting  me  to  appoint  a  day  for  him  to  visit 
me,  and  converse  upon  the  things  he  had  stat- 
ed in  his  letter,  if  I  would  not  write.  I  told 
the  bearer,  that  he  might  find  me  at  home  the 
next  Monday  afternoon. 

Previously  to  this,  he  had  written  a  letter 
to  a  man  in  Salem,  Mass.  by  the  name  of 
N  orris  ;  this  letter  wras  so  against  me,  that 
Mr.  Norris  shewed  it  to  some  of  my  friends 
in  Danvers.  They  shewed  it  to  Elder  Thom- 
as Green,  who  then  lived  at  Danvers  Milk. 
He  from  regard  to  me,  copied  the  letter  and 
gent  it  in  another  by  the  hand  of  a  brother, 
Benjamin  Clougb,  who  lived  near  me.  El- 
der Green  in  his  letter  stated,  that  Mr.  Wor- 
cester's letter  made  an  unfavorable  impression 
on  the  minds  of  many  :  and  that  in  propor- 


BLIA9    SMITH.  24ft 

tfon  as  Mr.  Worcester  was  considered  a  good 
divine,  I  m  as  considered  a  bad  one.  I  re- 
ceived Elder  Green's  letter,  and  a  copy  of  Mr. 
Worcester's,  tbe  Saturday  evening  before  he 
had  appointed  to  meet  me  on  Monday. 

Having  received  this,  I  considered  myself 
well  prepared  to  meet  him.  On  the  firs,  daj 
of  the  week,  I  told  some  of  the  leading  mem- 
bers of  the  church  of  the  appointed  meeting  ; 
the  letter  received,  &c.  and  desired  them  :o 
at  ten  I  on  Monday  without  fail.  This  they 
agreed  to  do,  as  they  considered  it  of  impor- 
ta  ic:^  to  have  witnesses  of  what  would  be  said: 
on  both  sides. 

At  2  o'clock,  Mr.  Worcester  came,  attended; 
bv  s  >  ne  of  his  chief  men.     My  brethren  were 
p ir  icdar  to  attend  by  the  time.     After  soma 
ganer.il  observations*  I  observed  to  him,  that 
we  were  All  readv  to  attend  to  the  things  .stated. 
in  hU  letters  4o  me.     He  stated  that  the  sub- 
jects cwitained-iu  his  letters  to  me  were  thi; 
he  wished  to  roa  erse  upon.     He  had  stated 
in  one  letter  several  points  of  doctrine,  which 
he    supposed  I   held,    which   he  considered 
erroneous  ;  and   also  that  I  was  making  bad 
use  of  my  abilities.    In  the  close  of  his  letter 
he  said,  "  i  consider  you  a  man  of  abilities  ; 
but  good  abilities  badly  used,  are  extremely 
injurious    to  the  cause  of  religion,"     la  the 
presence  of  six  witnesses,  we  took  up  every 
particular  in  his  letters  ;  and  there  was  but 
one   tiling  that  we  differed  upon  ;   that  was 
baptism.     When    we   had   gone  through,    I 
asked   him  what  grounds  he   had  to   briug 


250  LIFE    OF 

such  charges  against  me,  when  he  had  ne 
proof  to  support  his  charges  ?  He  replied, 
that  he  had  been  told  so  by  some  who  heard 
me,  whom  he  supposed  were  judges  of  what 
they  heard.  My  advice  to  him  was,  that  in 
future  he  should  be  careful  bow  he  judged  and 
condemned  otfcets  itkout  knowing  for  him- 
self that  t!.ey  were  guilty.  H^  said  he 
thought  i.e  should  la  more  careful  in  future. 
The  business  respecting  his  letter  to  me  being 
settled,  I  thought  it  tiiue  to  introduce  the 
other.  This  was  introouced  in  the  following 
manner.  "  Mr.  Worcester,  have  you  any 
personal  difficulty  with  me  ?"  "  Have  you 
ever  heard  of  my  speaking  unfavorably  of 
you  by  misrepresenting  you,  or  ei  deavoring 
to  injure  your  character  or  usefulness."  He 
answered,  tuo.  I  then  asked,  "  Have  you 
said  or  done  any  thing  calculated  to  injure 
my  character  or  usefulness?"  He  said,  unot 
any  where  near."  "  Have  you  at  a  distance  ?" 
He  replied,  "  I  am  not  obliged  to  tell  you  if 
I  have."  I  then  said,  "  You  may  as  well 
own  it,  for  I  can  prove  you  have."  He  then 
with  an  air  of  importance  said,  "  Your  bare 
say  so  will  not  prove  it."  "  No,  said  I,  but 
I  have  in  my  possession  the  copy  of  a  letter, 
which  1  believe  can  be  proved  to  be  written 
by  you  ;  which  is  calculated  to  injure  me." 
This  saying  appeared  to  strike  a  damp  on 
him  and  bis  nobles.  He  and  they  remained 
silent  for  a  while ;  when  he  spake  he  said, 
"  I  did  not  think  you  would  ever  get  that  let  ter ; 
I  shall  reprove  my  friend  for  letting  it  be 


ITLTAS    SMITH.  251 

known."  My  reply  was,  "  You  must  do  as 
you  please  respecting  your  friend  ;  but  you 
ought  to  be  careful  what  you  write,  as  such 
things  are  apt  to  be  published,  and  I  have 
some  friends  as  well  as  enemies."  Having 
gone  so  far,  I  then  took  out  the  letter,  and 
read  it  to  his  and  my  friends.  I  have  not  the 
letter  by  me,  but  part  of  it  I  remember,  though 
it  was  done  twenty  two  years  ago.  The  fol- 
loAving  is  I  believe  about  as  he  wrote  to  hi* 
friend  : 

"The  baptists  continue  to  exert  them- 
selves in  making  prosolytes  in  this  town  ; 
and  not  without  some  considerable  success. 
They  have  lately  drawn  away  a  brother  that 
has  been  in  good  standing  with  us  for  many 
years.  I  think  the  wisdom  of  God  is  manifest 
in  this  particular.  In  a  time  of  so  much  pros- 
perity we  need  something  to  humble  us,  least 
we  should  be  too  much  lifted  up-  The  bap- 
tist ministers  who  have  preached  among  us 
of  late,  appear  to  be  zealous  of  prosolyting  to 
their  own  sentiments  and  party  ;  a  success  of 
this  kiud,  is  all  of  which  they  can  boast. 
There  is  one  of  that  denomination,  that 
preaches  for  the  most  part  of  the  time  in  this 
town,  by  the  name  of  Elias  Smith.  He 
boldly  denies,  that  sinners  are  under  any 
obligations  to  God  ;  but  only  to  Christ,  in  the 
character  of  mediator.  Immediately  after 
baptising,  he  has  publicly  said,  "  Lord  it  is 
done  as  thou  has  commanded  and  yet  there  is 
room."  Last  week,  when  baptising  the  above 
aamed  person,  he  publicly  prayed,  without  ait 


S5&  LITE   OF 

if,  that  all  his  brethren,  and  all  the  brctbrcm 
iof  this  church  might  see,  and  practice  as  h« 
had  done.  How  long  he  will  be  suffered  to 
go  on  in  this  way  the  Lord  only  knows* 
But  offences  must  come,  and  how  consolating 
is  the  thought,  that  every  event  is  under  the 
divine  direction,  and  that  the  Lord  reigns 
forever,  even  thy  God  O,  Zion."    Yours,  &c. 

Reading  this  letter  had  an  humbling  effect 
on  bim  and  his  brethren,  as  we  all  thought; 
and  he  promised  to  write  to  his  friend,  and  in- 
form him  that  the  statements  he  had  made  con- 
cerning me  were  incorrect.  This  was  all  I 
asked  of  him  at  that  time.  After  taking  some 
refreshment,  they  all  withdrew.  As  he  went 
out  at  the  door,  he  requested  me  to  let  the 
matter  remain  in  silence  for  that  time.  So  it 
has  remained  until  now.  The  above  is  ac- 
cording to  the  best  of  my  recollection.  After 
this  we  lived  in  peace,  and  I  came  very  near 
being  drawn  into  the  vortex  of  hopbmtonian- 
ism,  but  finally  escaped. 

In  the  latter  part  of  the  winter  following, 
(1794.)  I  was  about  detexmined,when  ray  year 
was  out  with  them,  to  return  to  Newmarket 
or  some  town  near  that.  The  whole  church 
and  society  were  opposed  to  my  leaving  them  ; 
and  at  a  society  meeting  in  March,  were 
unanimously  agreed  in  my  continuing  wkh 
them,'  and  the?y  Manifested  a  willingness  to  do 
what  was  needful  for  the  support  of  me  and 
my  family.  They  further  proposed  to  pur- 
chase* a  small  convenient  house,  that  stood 
♦  near  the  meeting-house,  and.  to  make  me  a 


ELIAS    SMITBT.  253 

present  of  it.  This  I  was  utterly  opposed  to  ; 
as  it  would  lay  me  under  an  additional  obli- 
gation to  continue  with  them.  This  objection 
they  removed  by  telling  me  if  I  went  away  in 
six  months,  the  house  should  be  mine.  For 
a  long  time  I  refused  to  take  a  deed  of  it.  At 
last  the  committee  told  me  if  I  would  not  take 
the  deed,  they  would  give  it  to  my  wife.  I 
then  consented  ;  but  told  them  it  was  my  fix- 
ed determination  to  go  from  that  town. 

In  the  spring  of  1791,  I  moved  into  the 
house,  and  livecT  in  it  one  or  two  years,  and 
then  exchanged  it  for  a  two  storied  house 
nearer  the  meeting-house.  No  one  made  ob- 
jection to  this,  as  the  house  was  mine  to  keep, 
or  dispose  of  at  pleasure.  September  18th, 
of  the  same  year,  my  eldest  child  was  born 
in  the  house  they  gave  me.  Xear  that  time 
my  mother  came  to  visit  us,  and  gave  her  tba 
name,  Ursula,  out  of  respect  to  a  daughter  of 
Governor  Griswold,  of  Lyme,  in  Connecticut* 
who  had  beea  an  intimate  acquaintance  of 
hers,  in  the  days  of  her  youth.  When  she 
was  about  one  month  old,  my  youngest  bro- 
ther, Richard  R.  Smith,  visited  us,  and  on 
first  seeing  the  child,  composed  the  following 
lines  : 

"  We  bid  you  welcome  little  stranger, 
To  this  world  of  sin  and  danger  ; 
May  you  in  years  and  grace  increase, 
And  dwell  at  last  in  perfect  peace." 


234  LIFE    OF 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 

When  my  oldest  child  was  ten  days  old, 
the  28th  of  September,  1794,  having  previ- 
ously concluded  on  a  journey  to  Lynn?,  Con. 
I  sat  out  from  Salisbury,  and  went  first  to 
Woodstock,  as  my  father  had  agreed  to  go 
with  me.  I  arrived  there  on  Tuesday,  30th. 
Wednesday,  Oct.  i,  Me  went  to  Chuemonr, 
N.  H.  and  held  a  meeting  with  Elder  J.  Peak, 
who  was  there  on  a  fftii,  with  his  wife. 
Thursday,  rode  to  Hinsdale.  Friday,  we 
wont  to  South-Hadlev.  Saturday,  to  Shield. 
and  put  up  with  Elder  Hastings4,  a  baptist 
preacher,  who  received  us  in  a  very  cooi 
manne/.  With  him  we  tarried  till  Sunday 
night.  He  had  a  m  ;v.  -inall  brick  meeting- 
house, partly  finished,  and  but  a  few  people 
in  it  in  the  forenoon.  He  asked  me  to  preach 
first;  I  complied  with  his  request,  i 
intermission,  the  people  heard  that  a  stranger 
preached  in  the  mornin.°.\  and  in  the  afternoon 
the  house  was  quite  fell.  Seeing  m  many 
people  come,  he  asked  me  to  preach  in  the 
afternoon.  I  spake  to  the  people  according 
to  the  best  of  my  ability. 

The  assembly  appeared  very  attentirfc*  as 
though  the  word  had  some  effect  mi  them. 
After  meeting,  deacon  Ilobbins  a.-ked  me  to 
appoint  a  meeting  at  his  bouse,  about  two 
miles  from  the  meeting-house.  This  I  did, 
;  ml  ;  e  was  croeded  in  every  part  with 

i!d;  attentive  hearers. 


ELIAS    SMITH.  £j5 

While  with  Elder  Hastings,   on  Saturday 
evening,   though  he  seemed  cool  at  first,  yet 
afterwards  he  grew  more  free,  and  converted 
upon  many  things.     He   had  just  returned 
from  the  ordination  of  Mr.  Whelpley,  a  bap- 
tist minister;   in  Saiidersfield,  Mass.     This 
yoims:  man  was  educated  at  JPrevidencq  col- 
lege,  as  I  heard  ;  studied  divinity   with    Dr. 
Stillman,  of  Boston,  and  was  quite  in  clerical 
fashion.     As  he  had  a  college  education,  mi-l 
was  something  like  the  clergy  in  Connecticut? 
several  of  the  preshyierlan  clergy  attend 
Elder  Hastings  stated  to  us  that  Elder  John 
Leiand  was  appointed  to  preach  the   ordk 
tio!i  sermon.      He  said  that  when  the  pec. 
cane  together,  the  meeting-house  would  not 
hold  them.     The  people  then  went  to  a  grove, 
near  the  house  ;  erected  a  stage  that  the  peo- 
ple might  hear.     Mr.  Leland  had  not  spoken 
ki  ig.  before  it  began  to  rain  a  little,  so  that 
several  people  went  to  the  meeting-bouse  for 
a  shelter.     As  they  were  going.  Elder  Le- 
land    said    to    old    Elder   Thomas    Morse. 
«  Whaijt  shall  1  do,  father  Morse  ?»    He  re- 
plied,  "Wait  a  little  while  ;  the  rain  v.  Hi 
soon  be  over,  and  the   people  will  return/' 
He  sat  a  while  ;  the  cloud  passed  over,  a 
the   people    returned.     After  they   were  all 
seated,  ready  to  hear,    Mr.  Leland  ro$e 
and  after  looking  around,  as  though  surprised, 
and  wishing  also  to  slur;  the  clergy  gevei 
on  account  of  their  infant  spriakliag 
"My  friends,  I  am  astonished  to  see  baptis 
afraid  of  water  !    But  when  I  come  to  tlink. 


356  LIFE    OP 

it  is  sprinkling  ;  and  I  ;lo  not  wonder  that 
you  flee  from  it."  This  was  a  severe  stroke 
upon  the  Connecticut  clergy,  and  very  morti- 
fying to  Mr.  Whelpley.  Mr.  Leland  having 
said  this,  proceeded  in  his  sermon  as  he  had 
proposed  before  the  shower. 

Elder  Hastings,  on  Saturday  evening,  gave 
us  another  account  of  Mr.  Lelaiurs  wit  in 
Virginia.  He  started,  that  in  one  place  in 
Virginia,  where  Mr.  Leland  went  to  preach 
one  cold  day,  the  principal  people  were  in  the 
habit  of  going  out  before  the  meeting  was 
done,  if  the  minister  spake  much  over  three 
quarters  of  an  hour.  Some  of  the  brethren 
told  him  they  hoped  he  would  not  preach  long, 
for  if  he  did,  there  were  some  gentlemen  that 
would  leave  the  house.  He  said  nothing  ; 
but  went  to  meeting.  After  speaking  about 
forty -live  minutes,  he  noticed  that  some  grew 
uneasy,  and  acted  as  though  they  meant  soon 
to  go  out.  Observing  this,  he  paused  a  mo- 
ment, and  then  said.  " My  friends,  it  is  cold> 
and  I  have  now  got  about  half  through  my 
discourse  ;  and  I  suppose  those  of  you  who 
have  holes  in  the  heels  of  your  stockings  will 
be  obliged  to  leave  the  house  before  the  meet- 
ing is  dene."  This  saying  removed  all  the 
apparent  uneasiness  ;  and  no  one  dared  to 
leave  the  house  till  the  meeting  closed. 

Having  heard  Elder  Hastings'  anecdotes 
abftut  Mr.  Leland,  preached  twice  in  the 
meefing-kouse,  and  once  in  Deacon  Robbins' 
house,  he  sat  out  with  us  on  Monday  morn- 
ins  for  Hartford*     We  arrived  there  about 


ALIAS    SMITH.  5^7 

tiie  middle  of  the  day.  Formed  some  new 
acquaintance  ;  preached  in  the  evening  ;  put 
up  with  Deacon  Beckwith,  and  on  Tuesday 
morning  set  out  for  a  place  called  Hartford 
live  miles,  about  ten  miles  from  the  city  ;  here 
I  preached  in  the  evening  to  a  company  of 
old  brethren  and  others,  that  I  had  formed 
an  acquaintance  with  when  teaching  a  school 
among  them  the  winter  before  I  was  twenty 
years  old.  They  were  heartily  glad  to  sea 
me,  and  rejoiced  to  see  me  engaged  in  the 
gloii.ms,  work  of  preaching  the  gospel  of 
Christ 

Wednesday,  we  rode  to  the  upper  part  of 
Lyme,  and  put  up  with  Captain  Abner  Lee, 
the  man  with  whom  my  father  served  his  ap- 
prenticeship. He  was  an  old  man,  and  an 
humble  happy  disciple  of  Jesus.  He  with 
his  wife  received  us  cheerfully.  We  attended 
a  meeting  there  that  evening* 

The  good  old  man  had  prepared  his  lions* 
for  meetings,  and  had  seats  ready,  and  a 
moveable  pulpit,  which  he  could  make  con- 
venient with  a  little  trouble.  After  the 
people  were  gone  home,  and  they  were  car- 
rying out  the  seats,  the  old  man"  told  me  of 
one  thing  about  Mr.  Leland,  who  had 
preached  in  his  pulpit  some  time  before.  He 
stated  that  after  the  seats  were  placed,  a  I 
the  pulpit,  he  said  to  Mr.  Leland,  «  1  do  hot 
know  as  you  can  put  up  with  oar  wooden 
pulpit."  He  made  no  reply,  but  began  h:s 
meeting.  After  preaching  a  while/ he  \vu\ 
ecouiou  to  notice  tUe  preaching  the  p?opl* 
X2 


§58  life  or 

had  in  old  times  ;  and  noticed  the  difference 
between  that  and  the  popular  doctrines  of  the 
•lay  ill  which  he  lived.  "  In  the  days  of  the 
apostles,  said  he,  they  had  wooden  pulpits 
and  golden  preaching,  but  now  they  have 
golden  pulpits  and  wooden  preaching.  Give 
me  a  wooden  pulpit,  and  golden  preaching, 
rather  than  golden  pulpits  and  wooden 
preaching!"  And  let  all' the  people  say, 
Amen. 

Captain  Lee  told  us  of  another  thing  re- 
specting Mr.  Leland,  that  1  here  mention,  that 
preachers    may  learn   to  avoid  extremes  in 
preaching.     Mr.  L.  is,  and  has  been  consid- 
ered a   man   of  the   most  ready   wit  of  any 
preacher   in  the  eouutry.     The  old  pilgrim 
said    that   when    preaching   in   Mr.   Daniel 
Miner's  meeting-house,  he  undertook  to 
scribe  the  freeness  of  the  gospel,  though  he 
was  a  calvinistj  and  to  tell  the  peopk  hi  w 
welcome  every  class  of  men  were  to  the 
j  1  feast.     He    went  into  particulars.     8aul 
he  the  rich  may  come,  the  poor  may  come  and 
be    welcome-      The    king    may    come,     tie 
meanest  subject  may  come.     Tie   bind,  tie 
deaf,  the  dumb,  the  halt,  the  lame  may  ft 
The  thief,  ;he  Par,  the  drunkard,  the  extor- 
tioner,   the   Metsphemet,    if  *he  repents,  maj 
come.     The- Jew*  theOentile,  the  J 
the   Green'aude.r,    fctie    African,   the  i 

may  come.     Ti<e  meanest  si  we,  the  old 
young   may  come  to  the  gospel  fea 
he   paused,  as  the  minds  of  the 
wrought   up  to   the  highest  pitcn ,  **c  aJ 


ELIAS    SMITH. 


$ 


&  I  had  like  to  have  said,  you  r  tie  tag 

rag,  and  boI>tail  and  all."  Tins  for  a  mo 
mem  took  away  all  the  solemnity  of  what  he 
kmd  said  before,  and  soma  pei»embered  only 
this  part  of  the  discourse.  Such  expressions 
are  aot^commendable  in  anypiblb  speaker  : 
as  in  this  way  their  good  is  evil  spoken  of. 

Cant.  Lee's  wife,  who  was  a  woman  of 
fine  sense,  told  us  of  another  preacher  who 
had  spoken  there,  that  made  a  gre^t  mistake 
in  preaching,  by  reading  his  text  wrong,  H  f 
text  was  tins,  Zep,  ih.  3,  k';  Her  jrtHtoc®* 
within  h&r  are  roarin^lions*  kev  judges  are 

mi#g  >V)hei  ;  ih>j  kiiaw  not  the  bores 
till  the  morrowP  He  read  it  ••'  they  !caa*v  not 
the  hones -ta  ike  marrow."  And  so  he  pre?i 
ed  upon  his  taxi.  This  may  serve  to  lead 
preachers,  at  least  to  read  their  text  ri;  it. 
before   they  undertake  to  give  the  me  ini:^ 

Hiving  been  favored  with  a  short,  pleasant 
tad  n  u  tble  visit  with  these  aged  ^il^rims, 
on  Tnnr.sd ay  morning  we  s.u  out  to  altend  a 
mee:inj;  at  Elder  Daniel  Miner's  meeting 
1  ise,  about  four  miles  sou^h.  This  man  was 
what  then  was  catted  a  separate  co^rea;  itbn-' 
t,  and  a  the  one  that  sprinkled  me  ;  and 
i\\  a  was  the  m  eling  house  where  it  was  done, 
3 vt  ' u  ;  ie  on  b,  the  whole  scene  of  b  v'-is; 
s  •  *:  ■  ;!  -1  cauie  fresh  into  my  mind*  \1,\ 
JVl   I'M*  receive  I  me  i   I         ied  cue 

tp  pointed 
n  ■  ;t 


26®  ilFE   #? 

The  next  day.  Elder  Miner  went  with  us 
gevej  ill  miles,  to  a  kinsman  of  his  by  the  nam* 
of  Elias  Miner.  Here  Ave  dined,  and  after 
singing  and  prayer  we  parted.  He  returned 
home  and  we  went  on  to  see  Elder  Jason 
Lee,  an  old  baptist  preacher. 

Previous  to  this,  he  had  written,  request- 
ing me  if  possible,  in  his  day,  to  visit  the  lai;d 
of  my  nativity,  and  preach  the  gospel  to  the 
people.  When  we  met  him  at  his  house,  lift 
resembled  the  old  disciple  with  whom  soaie 
of  the  apostles  once  were  to  lodge.  He  re- 
ceived  my  father  and  me  with  all  that  affec- 
tion and  friendship  peculiar  to  a  disciple  and 
minister  of  Jesus.  Here  we  tarried  until 
Monday  morning.  Oa  the  first  day  of  the 
week,  Hi  any  people  gathered  at  the  meeting, 
house. 

After  we  went  into  the  pulpit,  he  asked  me 
which  part  of  the  day  I  chose  to  preach.  I 
said  the  forenoon.  As  this  was  the  house 
where  I  attended  meeting  when  a  child,  my 
desire  was.  if  ever  an  opportunity  presented, 
to  preach  in  that  house,  to  speak  upon  one 
particular  passage  of  scripture.  The  words 
were  these  :  Luke  iv.  16,  17>  18,  19,  "*lvd 
he  came  back  to  Nazareth*  where  he  had  been 
hrovght  up  ;  and,  as  his  custom  was,  he  went 
into  the  synagogue  on  the  sabbath-iay,  and 
stood  up  for  to  read.  *1nd  there  was  deliver- 
ed unto  him  the  book  of  the  prophet  Esaias  ; 
and  when  he  had  opened  the  book,  he  found 
the  place  where  it  was  icritten  ;  The  spirit 
of  the  Lord  is  upon  me,  because  lie  hath  an- 


ELIAS    SMITH,  26 1 

iwivted  me  to  preach  the  gospel  to  the  voov  ; 
he  hath  %e  t  wfe  to  broken  hearted)  to 

j)}\  wee  to  the  captive*,  and  recov- 

ering of.  fight    to  7.  to  set  at  liberty 

them  that  are  bruised  ;  to  preach  the  accept- 
able year  of  the  Lord" 

It  is  11  )t  for  me  to  say  much  about  the 
preaching;  but  many  said,  "'The  Lord  is 
here."  Elder  Lee  was  so  moved  that  he 
crisd   aloud,  and  an  sly  lenmity  reigued 

through  tho  assembly.  If  eveil  the  spirit  of 
the  Lord  was  upou  me  while  preaching,  it 
was   at  that  time.     A  :;ig,   Eider 

Lee  prayed   in  the  most  dove- ■  ind  fer- 

vent manner  1  ever  before  heard.  At  noon, 
we  went  with  James  Lewis  to  his  house. 
Many  came  in  to  hear  and  converse.  After 
taking  some  'refreshment,  I  mentioned  to  El- 
der Lee,  that  it  was  expected  he  would  preach 
that  afternoon.  Said  he,  <•  If  you  stay  here 
this  month,  I  shall  not  preach  while  you  stay/' 

1  spake  again  in  the  afternoon.  At  the  close 
of  the  meeting  several  men  desired  me  to 
preach  in  the  meeting-house  that  evening.  A 
meeting  was  appointed  and  the  house  was 
filled  with  people.    I  spake  upon  these  words, 

2  Thes.  i.  10,  «  When  he  shall  coiue  to  be 
glorified  in  lis  saints."  My  manner  of  treat- 
ing the  subject  was  this.  1.  To  describe  the 
coming  of  Christ.  3.  How  he  will  be  glori- 
fied in  !us  saints  at  his  coming.  Every  person 
seemed  fixed  to  hear  of  the  coming  of  Christ, 
thus  to  be  glorified. 


2G3  LIFE    OF 

Iii  Connecticut,  it  is  a  custom  for  that  pjiri 
of  the  assembly  addressed  by  the  speaker,  to 
rise  up.  In  my  address  to  the  youth,  towards 
the  close,  a  cloud  of  thein  arose  in  every 
part  of  the  house.  This  greatly  affected  me, 
so  that  for  a  short  time,  I  could  not  speak. 
The  glory  of  Christ's  coming,  while  I  was 
speaking,  was  realized  by  saints  and  sinners  ; 
and  in  a  short  time,  a  general  sobbing  was 
heard  through  the  assembly.  I  do  not  remem- 
ber of  ever  seeing  an  assembly  so -generally 
moved  before. 

After  speaking,  a  solemn  silence  reigned 
through  the  whole.  Elder  Lee  then  closed 
the  meeting  by  prayer,  and  the  people  retired 
to  their  homes.  By  request  of  the  people.  I 
appointed  a  mcetingen  Monday,  ttvd  o'clock, 
at  Capt  Johnson's  on  the  east  side  ot  the 
town.  On  Tuesday,  at  Joseph  Miller's,  on 
the  south  side,  near  the  sea.  Wednesday 
evening  at  Mr.  Darror's,  in  the  centre  of  the 
town.  These  meetings  I  attended,  and  was 
enabled  to  preach  the  word  with  freedom,  and 
to  the  satisfaction  and  comfort  of  many  that 
attended. 

!  On  Wednesday  evening  the  chief  estates 
of  Lyme  attended.  This  meeting  was  near 
the  house  where  I  was  born  and  lived  till  ten 
or  eleven  years  old.  Many  knew  me  when 
I  played  in  the  street,  and  on  (his  account 
came  to  see  if  any  good  thing  could  come  out 
of  Nazareth.  Thursday,  attended  the  meet, 
ing  in  Elder  Miner's  meeting-house,  and  took 
t)y  farewell  from  him  ;    this  w*  *  our  l*s4 


FXIAS    SMITH.  2l3J 

parting,  he  died  in  a  few  years  after.  He  was 
a  man  of  God,  and  greatly  owned  ia  the  conver- 
sion of  sinners,  and  in  comforting  the  children 
of  the  Most  High,  though  he  held  to  sprink- 
ling children.  After  this  meeting  we  rode  to 
Capt.  Lee's,  and  preached  in  the  evening  to 
a.  large  assembly,  among  whom  were  many 
happy  youth  and  others  whose  God  was  tlie 
Lord. 

This  meeting  ended  my  appointments  in 
Lyme,  the  place  of  my  nativity,  la  nine  days 
I  rode  through,  and  almost  round  the  whole 
town,  which  is  about  ten  miles  square;  preach- 
ed ten  tiii;°s,  saw  many  of  my  old  acquaint- 
ance :  and  became  acquainted  with  many  who 
before  were  strangers  ;  enjoyed  the  presence 
of  fiod,  Yivn  enabled  to  comfort  the  saints,  and 
to  leave  a  solemn  warning  for  the  wicked  to 
flee  from  the  wrath  to  come,  and  lay  hold  on 
eternal  life.  Several  people  who  lived  near 
the  centre  of  the  town,  attended  almost  every 
Meeting  ;  having  laid  their  work  aside,  that 
they  might  hear  all  that  was  said, 

Friday  morning,  we  took  an  affectionate 
farewell  from  Capt.  Lee,  his  wife  and  family, 
never  more  to  meet  them  o::  earth.  Mv  father 
was  quite  overcome,  while  parting  from  his 
old  master  Lee.  He  was  converted  and  bap- 
tised, when  an  apprentice  to  him.  They  had 
lived  iii  fellowship  as  brethren  for  about 
forty  years.  This  he  considered  his  last  visit 
to  Lyme,  a  .1  to  Capt.  Lee's  house.  We  all 
kneeled  down  and  prayed,  sorrowing  most  of 
a1!  that  we  were  io  meet  no  more  0:1  earth,    Of 


364  LITE    OF 

these  three,  I  only  am  left  alive.  That  day  we 
rode  to  Hartford  five  miles,  attended  a  meet- 
ing according  to  appointment,  and  on  Satur- 
day rode  to  Hartford  city,  the  place  now  so 
noted  for  the  Hartford  Convention  which  met 
there  in  December,  1814. 

On  the  first  day  of  the  week,  preached 
twice  to  the  baptist  church  in  the  old  court- 
house ;  broke  bread  in  the  afternoon,  attended 
another  meeting  there  in  the  evening.  Was 
not  well  satisfied  with  my  labor,  if  the  peo- 
ple were.  Speaking  and  riding  so  far  the 
week  before,  exhausted  me  so  much,  that 
though  the  spirit  was  willing  the  flesh  was 
wreak.  We  tarried  in  Hartford  till  Tuesday, 
and  that  day  rode  to  West- Springfield,  and 
preached  in  the  evening  at  the  baptist  meet- 
ing-house. Wednesday,  we  went  on  our 
journey  home.  I  parted  with  my  father  in 
Keens,  N,  H.  He  went  to  Woodstock,  and 
I  to  Salisbury,  through  the  towns  of  Sullivan, 
Washington  and  Warner,  and  arrived  at 
Salisbury  on  Saturday  morning.  In  this 
journey  I  rode  ever  four  hundred  miles  ia 
twenty-seven  days,  and  spake  publicly  twen- 
ty-one times.  Preaching  so  often  at  that  day, 
was  considered  almost  too  much  for  any 
man's  constitution  ;  but  I  found  then,  as 
often  since,  that  frequent  speaking,  unless  a 
man  speaks  too  loud  and  long  is  an  help  to 
him  instead  of  being  injurious. 


ELIAS    SMITH.  265 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

Not  long  from  the  time  of  my  return  from 
Connecticut,  while  living  in  the  house  given 
me  by  the  society,  Joshua  Smith  came  into 
Salisbury  and  preached  to  the  awakening  of 
several  who  before  that  time  had  lived  with- 
out much  concern  respecting  their  danger. 
Elder  Jones  also  visited  me  some  time  before 
he  began  to  speak  in  public.  Not  far  from 
this  time,  the  reformation  abated,  and  a  dif- 
ficulty arose  in  the  church  concerning  doc* 
trines.  Some  of  the  members  were  strict 
calvinists,  and  others  free.  This  caused  great 
trouble,  as  I  felt  a  necessity  of  being  decided 
as  to  one  side  or  the  other.  The  consequences 
at  least  were  serious  indeed. 

After  I  h  '1  aioved  into  the  other  house, 
near  the  meeting-house,  the  people  proposed 
to  me  to  teach  the  children  in  the  winter  of 
1798.  This  I  did  for  a  while,  but  the  work 
was  so  hard,  and  the  confinement  bo  great, 
that  I  did  not  continue  school  long,  and  then 
determined  never  again  to  be  confined  in  that 
way,  unless  there  was  no  other  way  left  for 
m  *  to  obtain  a  living  :  that  resolve  I  have 
maintained  to  this  day.  By  this  time  1  be- 
came very  unhappy  and  discontented  in  my 
sitiicuU'P  in  Salisbury,  though  the  people 
we*v  pc  .  and  willing  to  support  me  if  I 
we;  I  be  nue  to  preach  with  them.  In  the 
summer  of  *798,  1  concluded  to  preach  there 
only  one  half  of  the  time.  One  qi.attr  of 
the  dma  I  agreed  to  preach  in  Epplag,  the 
Y 


266  LIFE   t>F 

other  quarter  in  Strathanj.     This  agreement 
I  punctually  fulfilled. 

Towards  winter,  the  baptists  in  Woburn, 
Mass.  sent  to  me  requesting  a  visit.  I  went 
there  not  far  from  December,  and  preached 
once.  They  urged  me  to  preach  with  them 
that  winter,  and  I  agreed  to  preach  there  two 
thirds  of  the  time  till  spring.  Having  agreed 
to  preach  with  them  through  the  winter,  Icon- 
eluded  to  carry  my  wife  and  child  to  her 
father's  in  Newmarket,  as  they  wished  her  to 
spend  the  winter  with  them.  We  shut  up  our 
house,  and  left  the  town,  not  expecting  to  re- 
turn till  spring.  The  people  in  Salisbury 
were  very  loth  to  have  us  leave  them,  and 
my  wife  had  a  choice  in  residing  there,  rather 
than  any  other  place  on  earth  ;  but  as  1  was 
so  discontented  there  they  gave  it  up. 

It  was  my  lot  to  suffer  considerable  by  the 
cold  through  the  winter,  in  journeying  from 
one  place  to  another.  Some  of  the  time  I 
preached  in  Reading,  five  miles  from  Woburn, 
and  several  times  rode  to  Newmarket,  a 
distance  of  about  fifty  miles  fmm  Woburn. 
Through  the  winter  it  was  my  design  to  live 
with  my  family  in  Woburn,  as  they  were 
willing  to  do  more  for  me  than  they  did 
in  Salisbury,  and  at  that  time,  it  was  a 
maxim  with  many  of  the  baptist  preachers, 
"  That  it  was  the  greatest  duty  to  go  where 
the  people  would  do  the  most  for  us."  At 
that  time  there  wert*  not  many  places  where 
the  baptist  people  were  both  able  and  willing 
to  give  a  preacher  eaougli  to  support  hiw> 
and  his  family. 


ELIAS    SMITH.  267 

111  the  last  of  -February,  1797*  while  in 
Newton,  N.  H.  at  the  house  of  Elder  John 
Peak,  as  I  was  meditating  on  my  situation, 
that  of  my  family,  and  going  to  AVoburn  to 
live,  I  began  to  count  the  cost  of  what  I  had 
contemplated,  and  concluded,  that  I  should 
be  in  a  much  better  situation  in  Salisbury,  than 
in  Woburn.  In  Salisbury  I  had  a  good  house 
almost  finished,  for  which  I  owed  but  little. 
There  Was  also  a  large  meeting  house,  large 
church,  and  a  large  and  rich  society  ;  a  great 
country  around  where  the  people  wished  me 
to  travel  and  preach.  Putting  all  these  things 
together, and  knowing  that  my  wife  preferred 
that  place  to  any  other,  I  suddenly  resolved 
to  try  to  be  contented  there  :  and  to  tell  the 
people  I  was  willing  to  agree  to  live  with 
them  as  Ions;  as  they  wished  me  to  stav. 
With  this  resolution  I  went  to  Salisbury,  cal- 
led the  church  and  society  together,  and  told 
them  what  I  had  concluded  on.  They  readi- 
ly accepted  my  proposal,  and  agreed  to  irive 
me  what  they  hid  formerly  given.  I  then 
returned  to  Woburn,  about  ninety  miles  from 
Salisbury,  settled  my  affairs  with  them,  sent 
my  books  and  other  tilings  oh,  and  a  man  in 
my  absence  was  to  go  from  Boscaweo  to  New- 
market and  bring  my  wife  and  child  to  Salis- 
bury in  a  sleigh,  against  my  refuin. 

I  took  my  leave  of  the  people  in  Wobflrtfj 
and  of  my  friends  in  Boston,  particularly  my 
£00  I  brother  Baldwin,  who  said,  he  should 
have  been  glad  for  me  to  have  my  home  iu 
Woburn.     About  the  middle  of  March,  I  left 


LIFE    OF 

Woburn  for  Salisbury,  and  rode  through  la 
two  days.  The  weather  the  first  day  was  un- 
commonly cold,  and  the  wind  high,  so  that 
some  did  not  pretend  to  ride.  I  froze  myself 
some  the  first  day,  but  went  on  my  journey. 
When  at  Boscawen,  I  found  my  wife  and  child 
had  not  come  on.  She  was  unwell,  aud  not 
able  to  come,  and  the  young  man  returned 
without  her.  This  intelligence  cast  me  down 
very  much,  as  I  knew  her  situation  was  such 
that  she  would  not  be  able  to  come  till  some 
time  in  the  summer. 

After  attending  to  my  affairs  awhile,  I 
Trent  to  Newmarket,  and  tarried  awhile,  and 
then  returned.  Being  alone,  I  travelled  and 
preached  in  the  different  towns  through  titer 
week,  and  was  generally  at  Salisbury  on  Sun- 
days. As  I  had  bound  myself  to  the  people 
there,  my  conclusion  was  to  make  the  best  of 
xuy  bondage,  and  try  to  be  con  ten  tew. 

In  the  spring,  I  concluded   to  finish  my 
house,  and  be  a  settled  minister  as  the  clergy 
were,  and  as  was  the  case  with  some  of  the 
baptist  ministers.     One  chamber  I  had  fixed 
for  my  study.    In  this  was  a  book-case  made, 
and  a  table  to  draw  out,  where  I  might  w; 
my  notes,  and  do  other  writing  v  if:  eaee  i 
convenience.     My  house  was  pointed  whi 
and  thought  whether  I  might  not  live  in  ease 
as  well  as  other  men. 

Amidst  all  this  there  was  a  lack,  which  in- 
creased upon  me.  Sometimes  r*y  state  of 
bondage  would  trouble  me,  and  a  secret  wish 
•f  this  kind  would  revolve  in  my  mind,  *  O. 


ELIAS    SMITH.  26S 

that  I  was  as  free  from  all  men  as  I  was  last 
winter  ;  but  I  am  bound  and  to  this  I  must 
submit."  Frequently  my  spirit  sunk  within 
me,  not  knowing  what  course  to  take.  In  this 
time  a  small  family  moved  into  my  house  ;  a 
young  man  and  his  mother.  She  prepared 
food  for  me,  and  I  spent  some  of  my  time  in 
reading  different  books,  and  much  of  it  in  a 
state  of  gloominess  and  sorrow.  From  the 
day  of  my  birth  till  then,  I  had  never  in  real- 
ity known  what  trouble  was,  and  what  I  then 
felt  was  but  the  beginning  of  sorrow. 

In  the  month  of  June,  I  was  called  to  visit 
the  people  in  Sandwich,  a  place  about  fifty- 
five  miles  northeast  of  Salisbury.  On  my 
way  there,  I  heard  ray  wife  was  delivered  of 
a  son  on  the  tenth  of  the  month,  which  was 
one  week  before  I  heard  of  it.  Having  ful- 
filled my  appointments  in  Sandwich,  I  rode 
to  Newmarket  on  Monday  and  Tuesday,  and 
found  the  mother  and  child  well,  which  was. 
a  comfort  to  me  amidst  the  troubles  I  then  en- 
dured. Having  tarried  there  a  few  days,  I 
returned  to  Salisbury  ;  and  when  my  child 
was  about  six  weeks  old,  went  with  a  four 
wheeled  carriage,  and  brought  them  all  to  Sa- 
lisbury safe,  all  enjoying  good  health.  The 
arrival  of  my  little  family  after  an  absence  of 
about  eight  months,  caused  joy  taiay  friends, 
as  they  expected  that  in  future  that  would  be 
the  place  of  our  abode  for  life. 

Some  reader  may  perhaps  ask,  what  was 
the  cause  of  so  much  trouble  and  discontent, 
amidst  such  surrounding  circumstances,  calcft* 
YS 


S70"  LIFE    OF 

lated  to  render  a  man  happy  ?  I  answer,  tlic 
things  which  contribute  to  the  happiness  of 
christians  in  general,  are  not  always  calculat- 
ed to  make  a  minister  of  the  gospel  happy. 
A  minister  of  Christ  ought  always  to  be  free 
from  all  men,  that  he  may  be  servant  to  all. 
When  I  first  began  to  preach,  my  mind  and 
body  was  free,  then  I  was  happy.  Through 
ignorance,  I  often  bound  myself  by  the  six.- 
mpnth  or  year.  When  my  time  was  out,  I 
used  my  liberty  for  a  few  weeks,  and  then 
bound  myself  for  another  year,  not  thinking, 
or  meaning  any  evil  in  so  doing.  Many  times 
the  question  would  arise,  why  am  I  so  unhap- 
py in  my  engagements  by  the  year,  when  ma- 
ny wrho  are  settled  for  life  are  unhappy  the 
moment  they  see  any  danger  of  being  dis- 
missed? The  reason  was,  because  it  was 
never  my  duty  nor  theirs  to  be  settled  in  such 
a  manner.  When  my  mind  was  right  in 
preaching,  it  was  led  to  travel  and  preach  as 
Christ  and  the  apostles  did ;  but  when  confin- 
ed by  the  year,  I  could  not  go,  let  my  desire  to 
travel  be  ever  so  great.  I  hope  that  every 
young  man  who  is  called  to  preach,  w  ill  keep 
free  to  travel  and  turn  many  to  righteousness, 
without  being  confined  by  a  fine  meeting- 
house, salary,  or  the  importunity  of  friends 
who  would  limit  him  to  bounds  not  set  by  hisu 
Master. 

Not  long  after  my  family  returned,  my  old 
trouble,  discontent,  increased  beyond  what  it 
had  been  before  ;  but  being  bound,  I  thought 
"best  to  bear  it  in  silence.    I*  had  such  aji  ef 


ELIAS    SMITH.  S71 

feet  on  me,  that  I  could  not  read  with  any  sat- 
isfaction, and  at  last  was  so  dejected,  that 
some  days  I  shut  myself  in  the  chamber,  and 
kept  every  person  out  ;  and  for  several  clays, 
hardly  spake  to  any  one.  In  the  month  of 
October,  of  that  year,  as  I  was  digging  pota- 
toes in  my  garden,  and  meditating  on  my 
state  of  bondage,  this  question  arose  in  my 
mind.  Was  it  right  for  me  to  bind  myself 
as  I  did  last  spring  ?  The  answer  was,  no0 
Is  it  right  for  me  to  keep  bound  in  unrighteous- 
mss  ?  The  answer  w as,  no.  Why  may  I 
not  be  free  ?  You  may.  When  ?  Now. 
What  followed  was  this  :  "I  am  free.*' 
There  my  bondage  ended,  and  I  took  up  my 
basket  of  potatoes  as  a  free  man,  and  carried 
them  into  my  cellar,  and  considered  them  the 
property  of  a  free  man.  The  next  step  was 
to  tell  the  people  I  could  not  stand  to  my 
agreement,  and  must  be  disengaged  from  it, 
come  life  or  death. 

When  this  was  noised  ^abroad,  some  of  our 
principal  society  men  were  sorely  displeased, 
as  they  concluded  there  was  no  dependance 
on  such  an  unstable  person.  Some  were 
grieved ;  and  some  said,  let  him  go  if  he  will, 
Some  said  they  would  be  my  friends,  stay  or 
go.  They  finally  concluded  to  let  me  go  ; 
but  a  very  few  of  the  set  ones  said,  they  would 
never  hear  me  again,  and  I  believe  they  kept 
theii;  words  ever  after. 

As  soon  as  my  engagement  was  up,  my 
heart  leaped  for  joy,  as  a  prisoner  would  to 
be  set  free  from  a  long  confinement  in  prisoa. 


&7&  LIFE    OF 

I  now  considered  myself  free  to  travel  and 
preach  wherever  duty  called. 

Soon  after  this  my  brother  came  there  to 
preach,  and  being  dismissed,  I  went  into  the 
pew,  instead  of  the  pulpit.  This  grieved 
many  and  was  acceptable  to  a  few.  In  the 
month  of  November,  I  went  to  Wobum, 
Reading  and  Boston,  and  preached  in  tach 
of  these  towns.  Not  being  engaged  any- 
where,  the  people  in  Reading  and  Woburn 
requested  me  to  preach  with  them  again.  This 
I  agreed  to,  but  meant  to  be  free.  My  wife 
the  winter  before,  had  visited  Weburn,  and 
liked  the  people,  but  did  not  like  the  place; 
and  was  unwilling  to  move  there,  and  leave 
her  good  house  in  Salisbury,  for  one  or  two 
rooms  in  another  man's  house.  As  I  had 
conversed  with  Mr.  Baldwin  and  Dr.  Still- 
man,  of  Boston,  who  advised  me  to  move 
there,  I  agreed  to  carry  my  family  down  in 
January,  1798  ;  and  returned  home  in  De- 
cember, having  engaged  part  of  an  house  be- 
longing to  Deacon  Josiah  Convers,  a  member 
of  the  Tjapti&t  church  there. 

When  I  told  my  wife  that  my  determina- 
tion was  to  move  to  Woburn  the  next  month, 
she  was  sore  aggrieved  at  the  thought  of  leav- 
ing her  house  and  many  good  friends  ;  but 
as  some  were  offfended,  and  as  I  had  conclud- 
ed to  move  there,  she  submitted  to  it,  and 
made  preparation  to  go.  In  January,  we  sent 
the  chief  of  our  furniture  on,  and  went  our- 
tel  ves  and  the  children,  to  Newmarket.  There 
aay  wife  and  her  children  tarried  till  Febrt*- 


ELIAS    SMITH.  273 

ary,  and  I  went  on  to  Woburn,  to  get  the 
house  ready  for  them.  Deacon  Comers  fin- 
ished one  room  in  his  house  that  month;  and 
was  to  finish  a  chamber  in  the  spring  ;  this 
one  room  was  all  we  had  that  winter. 

In  February,  I  went  to  Newmarket  after 
my  family  ;  and  after  some  davs,  there  beins; 
but  little  snow,  we  sat  out  with  the  youngest 
child  for  Woburn.  When  we  had  gone  as 
far  as  Kingston  plain,  twelve  miles  from 
Newmarket,  the  snow  was  mostly  ^one,  and 
as  the  south  wind  blew,  it  melto  •  ay  fa  t. 
We  were  then  twelve  miles  from  Haverhill, 
where  we  meant  to  put  up  that  night.  The 
only  way  for  us  to  proceed  on  our  journey, 
was  for  me  to  walk,  -and  let  the  horse  draw 
the  load  on  the  ground.  This  I  did,  but  it 
was  a  tiresome  day's  work  for  us  all.  TLe 
road  about  two  miles  Prom  Haverhill  was  ^o 
miry,  fhai  the  horse  had  hard-  work  to  e;et 
through.  We  arrived  in  Haverhill  late  hi 
thfc  evening,  and  put  up  with  David  ]\io  , 
who  kindly  received  us,  and  made  us  as  com- 
fortahle  as  he  could. 

My  wife,  who  was  very  slender,  took  ?uch 
a  cold  that  day,  that  she  was  ccnlhied  to  her 
bed  the  day  following.  As  I  had  an  appoint- 
ment in  Woburn,  which  could  not  be  dispens- 
ed with,  I  left  her  and  went  on  my  horse, 
and  attended  my  meeting  :  leaving  her  to 
come  on  in  the  stage,  as  soon  as  she  was  able. 
In  about  four  days  she  came  :  and  so  through 
many  difficulties,  we  all  got  safe  to  land,  and 
were  kindly  received  by  our  friends.     This 


274  LIFE   OF 

was  again  beginning  the  world  anew.  We 
were  strangers,  and  depended  entirely  on  our 
friends  for  help  ;  but  a  way  opened  for  our 
escape  through  the  whole. 

Soon  after  my  removal  to  Woburn,  the 
church  wished  me  to  be  dismissed  from  the 
church  in  Salisbury,  and  recommended  to 
them  as  a  member  in  good  standing,  to  be  re- 
ceived as  a  member  with  them.  This  they 
refused  to  do,  though  they  had  brought  no 
charge  against  me ;  but  they  requested  me  to 
visit  them  that  every  thing  between  tkem  and 
the  society  might  be  settled  honorably.  In 
the  spring,  or  fore  part  of  summer,  I  went 
there,  and  then  found  what  the  difficulty  was. 
Though  they  had  given  me  a  deed  of  the 
house  and  land,  and  had  said,  if  I  went  away 
in  six  mouths.*  it  should  be  mine  ;  and  though 
I  had  tarried  not  far  from  four  years,  and  had 
served  them  according  to  the  best  of  my  abil- 
ity ;  yet  now  they  wished  it  back  again,  or 
the  money  they  paid  for  it ;  and  I  found  that 
they  meant  to  withhold  a  dismission  and  re- 
commendation, unless  I  gave  them  an  obliga- 
tion to  give  them  the  money  whenever  the 
house  was  sold.  As  1  had  never  co\  i 
their  silver  nor  gold,  house  nor  l°n:l,  1  gave 
them  a  writing  which  satisfied  them,  and  then 
my  character  stood  so  fair,  that  the  church 
and  society  gave  me  as  good  a  recommenda- 
tion as  I  needed  ;  and  was  so  dismissed,  that 
when  received  by  the  other  church,  I  was 
dismissed  from  their  special  watch  and  care. 


ELIAS    SMITH.  &75 

Here  I  first  felt  the  strength  of  the  cords  of 
sectarian  bondage.  It  was  a  practice  among 
the  baptists  at  that  time,  to  hold  a  member 
till  he  was  received  by  another  church,  by 
his  and  their  request  ;  if  by  any  means  they 
chose  to  hold  him,  they  kept  him  to  do  what 
they  pleased,  according  to  their  law*  This 
is  bondage,  and  contrary  to  the  perfect  law  of 
liberty. 

Having;  obtained  my  dismission  and  recom- 
mendation, at  the  price  of  one  hundred  and 
forty-nine  dollars,  and  cost,  I  returned  to 
Woburn,  well  pleased  to  think  I  had  got  clear 
without  having  my  character  smutted.  Pre- 
senting my  dismissal,  and  two  recommenda- 
tions to  the  church,  I  was  unanimously  re- 
ceived as  a  member  in  full  fellowship  ;  as  -me 
of  their  faith  and  order.  The  treatment  which 
I  received  from  the  baptist  preachers  and 
churches  in  Massachusetts,  at  that  time,  prov- 
ed to  my  satisfaction,  that  I  stood  high  in 
their  esteem.  I  was  invited  to  preaeh  in  their 
most  popular  assemblies,  aud  received  into  the 
company  of  what  they  called  their  first  peo- 
ple, though  I  ever  felt  myself  unworthy  of  the 
then  honorable  treatment  received  from  th?m. 

As  one  object  in  going  io  Woburn  was  to 
gain  useful  knowledge,  by  having  an  oppor- 
tunity to  converse  with  such  knowing  men  as 
I  considered  Dr.  Still  man  and  other  baptist 
preachers  to  be,  and  to  read  such  books  as 
they  possessed;  when  in  their  company,  I 
calculated  to  gain  all  I  could  from  them.  I 
was  however  frequently  disappointed,  as  they 


§76  LIFE    OF 

had  not  that  knowledge  of  the  scriptures 
which  their  high  titles  gave  me  occasion  to 
suppose  they  possessed. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

From  the  first  of  my  appearing  in  public,  I 
had  been  in  the  habit  of  dressing  plain,  though 
I  sometimes  dressed  in  black.  As  my  resi- 
dence was  near  Boston,  and  being  frequently 
there,  the  two  Boston  ministers  often  made 
mention  of  my  plain  dress  ;  and  particularly 
Mr.  Baldwin,  who  was  a  very  fashionaiue 
man.  He  one  day  *aid,  "you  are  not  yet 
fifty  years  old;"  intimating  that  at  such  an 
age,  my  dress  might  be  suitable.  In  this  I 
goon  began  to  conform  ;  and  went  on  till  they 
with  me,  left  that  simplicity  which  at  first  v,  m 
seen  among  the  baptists.  I  wavS  soon  dress- 
ed in  fashionable  black,  a  large  three  corner- 
ed hat,  and  black  silk  glores,  to  wear  in  the 
meeting-house  in  "dvg-days"  (Iba.  hi.  10, 
41,  12.) 

My  salary  in  Woburn,  was  three  hundred 
and  thirty-three  dollars,  and  thirty-three  cents 
per  year.  This  was  sufficient  to  support  my 
small  family,  and  be  in  the  fashion  of  tho 
baptist  clergy  around  me. 

Tite  first  year  of  my  resideuce  in  Woburn, 
the  Lord  blest  my  labors  among  tin 
there,  in  Reading,  and  Maiden.     Several  'a 
these  to\tns  were  converted  to  God,  and  bap- 
tised.    Through  the  summer  of  1798*  the  as- 


ELTAS    SMITH.  Tfi 

scmbly  increased,  and  a  goodly  number  were 
added  to  the  church.  One  thing  which  cans- 
ed  the  assembly  to  increase,  was  the  situa- 
tion of  the  congregational  society  in  that  town. 
They  had  a  settled  clergyman  by  the  name  of 
Sargent  ;  perhaps  as  poor  a  speaker  as  ever 
ascended  the  pulpit  stalls.  They  had  for 
several  years  labored  hard  to  get  rid  of  him  ; 
but  he  still  remained  among  them.  I  was 
told,  that  when  the  people  complained  to  him 
of  the  badness  of  his  voice,  he  said  the  sound- 
i}ig-board 'was  too  high.,  and  that  if  the  sound- 
ing-board was  lowered,  he  could  speak  better. 
A  parish  meeting  was  called  for  this  purpose. 
The  moderator  introduced  the  subject  of  al- 
tering the  sounding-board.  One  man  by  the 
name  of  Jesse  Richardson,  a  shrewd  old  man, 
rose  up  instantly,  and  said,  <•  Mr.  Moderator, 
I  move,  that  the  sound  tincter  the  board  be  al- 
tered first. -v  This  prevented  any  further  pro- 
■s 'to  the  sounding-board,  and  after 
th*tj  the  great  study  was  how  to  get  rid  of  the 
sound  under  the  board. 

After  much  labor,  councils,  and  the  mem- 
bers joining  the  baptist  society,  they  gave  him 
about  five  hundred  dollars  to  go  off,  and  carry 
his  voice  with, trim.  This  is  according  to  the 
he-t  of  my  recollection. 

Though  we  lived  in  peace,  there  was  one 
difficulty  among  us.  The  laws  of  Massachu- 
setts were  such,  that  no  minister  could  marry 
people  out  of  the  town  where  he  lived,  unless 
a  town  was  destitute  af  a  settled  minister, 
and  no  minister  was  allowed  to  many  where 
Z 


2?8  LIFE    OF 

he  lived,  unless  he  was  settled  as  the  pastor 
of  the  church  where  he  preached.  This  made 
some  of  my  friends  uneasy,  as  I  could  not 
marry  them,  nor  get  the  money  which  the  law 
gave  the  minister  for  every  couple  he  married. 
The  question  arose,  "  What  shall  be  done?" 
The  ministers  in  Boston  said,  "You  must  be 
installed."  This  I  was  entirely  ignorant  of, 
as  no  such  thing  was  mentioned  in  the  bible  ; 
hut  as  they  said  it  would  do,  and  as  they  were 
learned  men  and  to  be  depended  on,  I  con- 
sented to  be  installed,  to  Lave  the  benefit  of 
the  laws,  as  a  "  state  minister." 

November  14,  1798,  was  the  day  appoint- 
ed for  this  new-  fangled  ceremony.  When  the 
(lay  came,  a  great  multitude  attended.  The 
baptist  ministers  who  attended,  as  they  were 
stilcd  in  the  Boston  Chronicle,  where  the  fol- 
lowing-. Rev.  Dr.  Stillman,  Rev.  Dr.  Smith, 
Rev.  Mr.  Baldwin,  and  Rev.  Mr.  Grafton. 
As  I  had  been  ordained  at  Lee,  some  years 
before,  and  as  Mr.  Baldwin  had  heard  my  ex- 
perience then,  given  me  the  right  hand  of  fel- 
lowship ;  as  I  had  a  good  recommendation 
from  the  baptist  church  and  society  in  Salis- 
bury ;  it  was  thought  unnecessary  by  the  coun- 
cil to  examine  mytexperience,  call  to  preach, 
or  system  of  doctrine.  The  council  was  held 
in  the  morning,  and  the  chief  done  was  to 
know  how  I  stood  with  the  church,  what  sala- 
ry I  was  to  have,  &c.  and  to  agree  what  part 
each  one  should  take  in  the  meeting-house. 
All  this  was  agreed  on,  and  at  the  hour  ap- 
pointed, we  went  out  of  the  chamber  and  went 


ELIAS    SMITH.  2/9 

to  tbe  congregational  meeting-house,  which 
they  had  graciously  favored  us  with  to 
perform  our  popery  in.  The  day  I  was  in- 
stalled was  an  high  day  with  us.  We  made 
something  of  a  splendid  appearance  as  it  res- 
pected the  ignorant.  We  had  two  Doctors  of 
Divinity  ;  one  or  two  A.  M's.  and  we  all 
wore  bands. 

When  we  came  out  of  the  counsel  cham- 
ber, and  formed  a  procession  to  walk  in  bap- 
tist clerical  order  to  tbe  meeting-house,  wre 
looked  as  much  like  the  cardinals  coming  out 
of  the  conclave  after  electing  a  pope,  as  our 
practice  was  like  theirs,  and  the  chief  differ- 
ence was  in  the  name,  and  the  color  of  our 
clothes.  Doctor  Stillman  preached  a  good 
sermon,  from  Eph.  iii.  8,  <•'  Unto  me,  who  am 
less  than  the  least  of  all  saints,  is  this  grace 
given,  that  I  should  preach  among  the  gentiles 
the  unsearchable  riches  of  Christ. "  After 
preaching,  Docttr  Smith  gave  the  charge  ; 
Mr.  Baldwin  the  right  hand  of  fellowship, 
which  was  the  second  time  I  received  it  from 
him.  And  to  this  day  he  has  never  given  me. 
nor  the  public,  a  scriptural  reason  why  Iip. 
privately  withdrew  it  from  me.  After  per- 
forming, this  man  made  anti-christain  ceremo- 
ny, called  by  its  makers,  installation  ;  done  to 
enable  me  to  perform  one  thing  which  the  pope 
in  ancient  days  declared  bis  right  only  to  deal 
fdi  ;  that  is,  to  marry  people  according  to  the; 
reli  gious  state  law  of  Massachusetts  ;  we  all 
returned  back  to  the  council  chamber,  and 


280  LIFE    OF 

were  more  merry  than  the  rule  given  to  Christ's 
ministers  would  allow  us  to  he. 

While  setting  and  conversing  together,Doc- 
tor  Smith  said  to  me,  "  I  advise  vou  to  wear 
a  band  on  Lord's  days."  [This  was  a  piece 
of  clerical  foppery  I  always  hated,  and  when 
I  walked  with  it  on,  I  then  thought  I  acted 
with  it  as  a  pig  does  when  he  is  first  yoked ; 
almost  strike  it  with  bis  knees,  for  fear  he 
shall  hit  it.  I  should  not  have  worn  it  that 
day,  but  Doctor  Stillipan,  who  was  as  fond 
of  such  foppery  as  a  little  girl  is  of  tine  baby 
rags,  brought  one  and  put  it  on  me.]  I  ask- 
ed the  Doctor  what  the  band  meant  ?  He  re- 
plied, "  That  as  I  lived  near  the  metropolis, 
it  would  make  me  appear  respectable  ;  and 
besides,  said  he,  it  will  shew  that  you  aie 
an  ordained  minister."  I  then  asked  him 
how  ministers  came  first  to  wear  bands  ?  He 
said,  "He  supposed  it  was  taken  from  the 
high  priest's  breast-plate.'''  My  reply  was, 
if  that  is  the  way  bands  came,  I  will  never 
wear  one  again  :  foi  my  high  priest  has  his 
on  in  glory  ;  and  for  me  to  wear  a  ban  J, 
would  be  taking  that  to  myself  which  belongs 
only  to  him.  From  that  day  to  this  I  have 
held  as  abominable,  the  band.  zurpUce,  and 
the  other  pftrt  of  the  clerical,  anti-christiau 
attire  of  Die  mother  of  harlots,  and  abomina- 
tion of  the  earth. 

The  week  after  my  installation,  the  follow- 
ing advertisement  of  my  return  to  Babylon, 
and  partaking  of  her  plagues,  appeared  in  the 
Boston  Chronicle  : 


EL1AS    SMITH.  281 

INSTALLED, 

«  At  Woburn,  on  Wednesday  tlie   i 
tli©  Rev.  Bijas  Smith,  pastor  of  the  b 
church  in  thJit  place.     Tire  solemnity  was  in- 
troduced by  eti>  Excellent  anthem,  which  was 
well   sung.     Then  followed  the  introductory 
prayer,  and  a  sermon  from  Eph.  Hi.  '8.  by  Rev. 
J3r.  Stillman.     The  charge  by  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Smith,  of  Haverhill.     Tfife  right  hand  of  fel- 
lowship  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Baldwin,  of  Ros 
ton  ;  and  the  concluding  prayer  by  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Grafton,  of  Newton.     The  services  were 
attended   by  a  numerous  and  respectable  as- 
sembly in  the  congregational  meeting- ht>u 
with  the  use  of  which  thev  were  accommo- 
dated  by  the  parish,  ia  a  most  friendly  man- 
ner/' 

£>  This  operation  I  went  through,  and 
though  I  did  not  see  the  propriety  of  it  from 
the  scriptures,  yet  thought  there  Was  do  hurl 
in  dying  it.  "The  Lord  pardon  thy  servant 
in  this  thing*."     2  Kings}  v.  18. 

Our  affairs  being  thus  regulated  according 
to  law,  there  was  a  prospect  of  proceeding 
regularly  5  and  I  was  determined  to  be  steady, 
as  they  termed  it  :  that  is  to  be  contented  iu 
my  new  confinement.  During  my  stay  at  V 
burn,  which  was  till  the  year  1801,  several 
things  took  place  which  shall  be  mentioned 
here. 

1.  Not  long  after  being  installed,  several 

became  indifferent,  as  to  paying  their  part  of 

the  hundred  pounds  ;  the  society  had  agreed 

e  me  by  the  year.     This  caused  a  dif- 

Y2 


LIFE    6F 

Sculty,  as  to  ray  living.  To  remedy  tbis 
evil,  I  proposed  to  the  society  to  loan  me  one 
thousand  dollars  ;  the  interest  of  which  should 
be  instead  of  fifty  pounds.  This  they  agreed 
to  ;  and  let  me  have  a  part  of  the  money. 
Having  this,  I  entered  into  partnership  with 
two  men,  and  opened  a  s*ore  in  Woodstock, 
Vt.  This  business  laid  a  foundation  for 
much  trouble  afterwards ;  as  my  mind  was 
entangled  with  the  affairs  of  this  world,  which 
prevented  my  pleasing  him  who  had  called 
ane  to  be  a  soldier  ;  and  before  the  business 
was  ended,  my  mind  was  brought  almost  into 
a  state  of  despair. 

2.  While  at  Woburn,  in  consequence  of  a 
connection  with  the  baptist  ministers  and  oth- 
ers around,  I  became  quite  too  respectable 
for  a  minister  of  Christ.  They  dressed  me 
in  black,  from  head  to  foot ;  and  on  some  oc- 
casions a  part  of  my  dress  was  silk,  w  ith  a 
large  three  cornered  hat,  and  cloak  of  the 
test.  I  built  an  house  there  ;  kept  an  horse 
and  carriage,  and  lived  in  ease  as  other  sala- 
ry men  do. 

Being  so  respectable,  I  began,  to  write  my 
sermons,  but  never  carried  thein  to  the  meet- 
ing-house. This  was  beiug  so  lame  as  to 
need  one  crutch  j  those  baptist  ministers  who 
read  their  notes,  have  the  gout  to  that  degree, 
that  they  are  obliged  to  use  two  crutches,  and 
go  hard  and  slow  with  them.  The  baptists 
in  Boston  frequently  requested  me  to  preach 
with  them  ;  all  these  things  served  by  little 
aad  little  to  draw  my  mind  from  the  simplit 


BLIAS    SMITH.  288 

%ity  that  is  in  Christ  Jesus.  I  once  told  Mr. 
Baldwin,  we  were  going  back  to  the  place 
from  wheace  we  came  out.  His  reply  was, 
"  We  wish  to  make  our  denomination  res- 
pectable as  well  as  the  rest."  Here  it  ended 
for  a  time. 

3.  George  Washington  died  at  the  time  of 
my  residence  at  Woburn,  and  the  people 
thought  they  must  take  some  public  notice  of 
it.  Of  course  a  day  was  appointed.  Dr, 
Jedidiak  Morse,  of  Charleston,  wasrequested 
to  deliver  the  discourse.  At  the  day  appoint- 
ed he  came  dressed  in  his  surplice  and  band, 
with  his  old  notes  which  he  had  read  in 
Charleston,  and  the  prayer  on  a  piece  of  paper, 
which  he  had  said  over.  As  I  was  to  make 
the  first  prayer,  and  Daniel  Oliver  the  last, 
he  shewed  me  his  long  made  prayer,  thinking 
it  might  help  me  to  pray  on  the  occasion  ; 
but  like  Saul's  armour,  it  was  too  long  for 
me,  and  I  could  not  go  with  it. 

At  the  distinguished  hour,  we  all  went 
through  the  mud  to  the  meeting-house,  which 
had  much  black  cloth  about  it,  as  a  mark  of 
mourniag  for  Washington,  After  some 
singing,  praying,  &c.  the  Reverend  Doctor 
began  his  discourse  in  about  the  following 
words,  "  What  meaneth  all  these  funeral  airs? 
Why  all  these  marks  of  mourning  ?  What 
sighs  are  these  that  heave  the  breast  ?  Why 
these  tears  that  steal  down  the  sorrowful 
cheek  ?  Methinks  some  one  says,  Washing- 
ton is  dead."  It  was,  "  flat  as  the  canvass,. 
*nd  cold  as  the  marble."     There  was  not  z 


3S4  'MMfe-ov 


si-h  nor  a  ten*  in  the  m  .ouse,  excfcp*- 

ing    what   his   oM  no  lined.     Wheu 

ti  is  parade  -was  over.  the.  people  dispersed 
Dr.  Mc  i\ed  ten  dolors,  it  was  said, 

for  his  (]  ,  ".  and  went  to  his  "place." 

Soon  after  this,  the  baptists  had  a  meeting 
on  the  occasion  :  dressed  the  pulpit  with  two 
yards  erf  black  broad  cloth,  and  after  meetii' 
it  was  presented  to  me  :  so  that  with  the  other 
clergy,  I  became  the  possessor  of  another  black 
coat ,  for  preaching  Washington's  funeral 
sermon. 

4.  While  at  Wobiirn,  I  fir>t  became  ac- 
quainted with  the  different  political  princi- 
ples of  this  country.  Until  that  time  my 
mind  was  taken  up  with  other  things,  and 
was  undetermined  whether  our  form  of  gov- 
ernment or  monarchy,  was  the  best.  At  that 
time  the  writings  of  Old  South,  were  pub- 
lished in  the  Boston  Chronicle,  which  I  read 
with  attention,  and  became  acquainted  with 
the  nature  of  monarchy  and  kkpublicanism, 
and  was  then  certain  that  a  republican  govern- 
ment was  in  its  nature  as  well  calculated  for 
the  interest  of  the  people,  as  monarchy  is  for 
the  king.  1  became  a  republican  from  princi- 
ple, and  so  must  remain,  or  be  dishonest. 
All  the  further  information  received  since, 
has  only  confirmed  mv  mind  in  what  I  then 
believed  just  and  true. 

S„  It  was  at  Woburn,  that  my  mind  was 
first  troubled  about  what  is  called  tl  e  trhtiy. 
Some  years  before.  Dr.  S.  Shepard  had  told 
me  that  three  persons  could  uot  ke  one-j-* 


ELIAS    SMITH.  285 

son  ;  and  that  the  text  brought  to  prove  the 
trinity,  1  John,  v.  7?  did  not  say,  tluwe  per- 
sons',  but  three,  without  saying  what  the 
three  prare.  He  also  said,  that  where  W.atts 
said,  u  When  God  the  mighty  maker 
died,"  it  ought  to  have  read,  "  When  Christ 
mighty  Saviour  died  f?  because  said  he, 
God  never  died.  This  1  remembered,  and 
often  after  preaching,  was  much  troubled  on 
account  of  my  ignorance  of  that  mystery,  or 
ratfeer  mistake* 

Sometimes  it  was  almost  a  settled  point 
with  me,  never  to  preach  again,  until  I  could 
see  how  three  persons  could  be  one  being. 

The  baptist  ministers  said  it  was  a  mystery, 
and  so  it  remained  with  me  till  within  a  few 
years.  What  is  called  election  greatly  agi- 
tated my  mind  about  the  same  time.  Dr. 
Stillman  held  that  Christ  died  for  the  elect 
only  ;  Dr.  Baldwin  held  that  there  was  a  pro- 
priety in  preaching  the  gospel  to  all,  though 
but  a  small  part  would  finally  be  benefited 
by  it,  and  these  were  given  to  Christ  in  the 
covenant  of  redemption  before  the  world  was. 
These  two  men  differed  so  much  en  that 
point  of  doctrine,  that  in  a  meeting  each  said 
to  the  other,  if  I  held  as  you  do,  I  would 
preach  no  more. 

I  had  for  many  years  held  with  Dr.  Bald- 
win, but  by  reading  the  articles  of  the  church 
in  Woburn,  I  found  it  stated  "that  the  death 
of  Christ  was  special  and  particular,  that 
for  the  elect  only  ;"  and  finding  it  so  there, 
concluded  to  preach  according  to  the  articles 


286  WFE    OF 

One  day,  in  the  meeting-house,  I  told  the 
people  that  According  to  the  articles  of  the 
church,  the  fact  was  plainly  this ;  all  that  were 
elected,  or  chosen  in  Christ  before  the  founda- 
tion of  the  world  would  be  saved  and  no 
others.  Such  could  not  miss  of  salration, 
and  the  remainder  must  unavoidably  be  lost, 
because  they  were  not  elected. 

This  gave  a  great  shock  to  many  who 
heard,  and  the  next  day,  some  who  befor© 
had  been  serious,  went  and  joined  the  dancing 
school  in  that  town.  This  troubled  me  much, 
and  when  I  asked  a  young  man  why  he  did 
so,  his  reply  was,  that  my  preaching  the 
Sunday  before  caused  him  to  do  as  he  had. 
He  then  said  thus  to  me,  u  You  told  us  that 
all  given  to  Christ,  or  the  elect  would  be 
saved,  and  that  their  salvation  could  not  be 
prevented.  Now  said  he,  I  believe  it  will 
be  so.  If  I  am  one  of  the  elect  I  shall  as 
certainly  be  save4  in  attending  the  dancing 
school  as  at  any  other  place  ;  if  I  am  not  one 
of  the  elect,  nothing  I  can  do  will  prevent 
my  being  lost  at  last."  He  added,  "  I  do 
not  find  any  happiness  in  religion,  and  must 
have  some  division,  and  this  is  as  innocent 
as  any  thing  I  can  do.  To  live  unhappy 
here,  and  be  eternally  miserable  hereafter,  is 
dreadful  to  me.  I  conclude  it  best  to  take 
what  comfort*  I  can  in  a  civil  way  :  and  as  I 
believe  your  doctrine,  I  am  as  safe  so,  as  in 
praying  and  going  to  meeting  in  an  uncen^ 
▼erted  state." 


BLIAS    SMITH.  387 

This  conversation  brought  me  t%  a  stand, 
aad  I  left  the  young  man  without  much  re- 
ply to  what  he  said.  After  leaving  him  the 
following  passed  through  my  mind  :  "  What 
the  young  man  says  is  rational.  This  is  the 
practical  part  of  my  preaching.  Paul's 
preaching  never  had  such  an  effect  upon  his 
hearers,  and  such  preaching  is  not  according 
to  the  doctrine  of  Christ."  My  mind  was 
seriously  employed  in  examining  the  doctrine 
contained  in  the  church  book,  and  upon  a 
careful  and  candid  examination,  I  concluded 
that  such  doctrine  was  not  the  doctrine  of 
Christ,  and  was  determined  to  give  it  up  as 
wrong,  and  soon  reduced  all  my  religion  to 
two  things,  *  believe  right,  and  do  right." 
This  laid  a  foundation  for  examining  every 
part  of  doctrine  by  the  scriptures,  and  in  con- 
sequence of  this,  for  many  years,  the  ignor- 
ant, the  partial,  and  the  dishonest,  have  con- 
sidered me  an  heretic,  and  some  have  said, 
4<  not  fit  to  live."  About  this  time,  I  told 
Elder  Peak  my  religion  was  reduced  to  two 
things,  believe  right  and  do  right.  Some  of 
my  acquaintance  told  me  that  from  this  he 
took  occasion  to  say,  I  was  either  a  Deist  or 
JJniversalist.  ft 

6.  My  situation  at  Woburn  as  an  installed 
minister,  caused  me  to  feel  at  times  very  un- 
happy* Especially  after  receiving  such  a 
shock,  respecting  the  doctrine  I  had  preach- 
ed, and  must  preach  to  be  acceptable  there. 
The  only  remedy  I  knew  of  was  to  go  to 
aaothcr  place.    This  was  any  determinate* 


life  or 

about  the  year  1799.  As  mr  house  was 
there,  I  concluded  to  try  my  Ijondage  a  little 
longer,  knowing  if  I  went  away,  the  people 
would  take  my  house  and  about  all  I  had,  for 
the  money  they  had  loaned  me.  They  had 
given  me  between  ene  and  two  hundred  dol- 
lars towards  building  my  house  ;  this  I  had 
given  my  word  should  be  paid  back,  if  I 
went  froln  them. within  seven  years. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

In  the  year  1801,  my  mind  was  fixed  to  go 
from  that  place,  come  life  or  death.  The 
company  had  opened  a  store  in  Salisbury, 
N.  H.  The  house  and  store  was  mine,  and 
I  concluded  to  go  there  and  attend  to  my 
business,  and  preach  on  Sundays,  and  try  to 
be  a  free  man. 

Mr.  Baldwin,  of  Boston,  heard  of  my  de- 
termination, and  came  to  visit  me,  hoping  to 
dissuade  from  going  from  Woburn.  He 
took  me  into  Deacon  ConveiV  pasture,  and 
told  me  the  necessity  of  remaining  with 
the  people,  and  in  connection  with  the  bap- 
tists in  that  region.  I  told  him  of  my  unfit- 
ness to  perform  the  duties  of  a  pastor.  Said 
he,  H  if  you  are  not  qualified  I  am  not.  We 
acknowledge  you  equal  to  aiy  of  us  in 
preaching,  and  before  us  in  the  knowledge  of 
the  scriptures. /V 

A  Her  hearing  all  his  arguments,  I  t#ld  him 
my  mind  and  body  were  never  designed  for 


FLIAS    SMITH.  289 

such  narrow  limits  as  my  situation  there 
fixed  me  in  ;  and  that  it  was  a  most  distress- 
ing thought,  to  be  confined  all  my  days  to 
preach  to  two  or  three  hundred  people,  when 
there  was  thousands  around  to  hear.  Here 
the  conversation  ended,  and  we  returned  to 
the  house. 

For  many  weeks  my  mind  was  greatly 
troubled  on  account  of  the  doctrine  I  had 
preached,  my  connection  with  the  baptists, 
the  situation  of  my  family,  the  trouble  to  be 
endured  is  consequence  of  leaving  that  place, 
and  my  connection  with  the  church.  By 
leaving  them,  my  house,  and  all  there  must 
be  given  up  ;  and  I  was  quite  certain  the 
most  influential  would  bs  against  me.  My 
final  determination  was  to  risk  all  the  conse- 
quence of  being  dismissed  from  what  they 
called  my  pastoral  charge. 

This  was  done  in  manner  and  form.  A 
committee  was  appointed  to  settle  with  me. 
They  owed  me  according  to  anti-christiau 
bargain,  for  preaching  Calvinism,  about  one 
hundred  and  seventy  dollars,  and  I  took  their 
note  for  the  same.  This  was  a  sin  coniiini 
led  ignorantly,  which  I  believe  is  forgiven 
me,  and  which  no  poverty  I  hope  will  ever 
persuade  ma  to  do  again.  Deacon  J'osiah 
Convers  toow  my  house  at  one  thousand  dol- 
lars, and  obliged  me  to  allow  him  one  hun- 
dred dollars  for  the  land  he  had  given  me 
to  build  the  house  upon. 

Those  who  had  given  me  timber,  board* . 
work,  &c.  called  for  their  money  back.  One  of 
Aa 


290  LIFE    6F 

the  church,  who  subscribed  four  dollars* 
which  he  paid  in  four  sticks  of  timber,  eight 
inches  square,  and  eighteen  teet  long,  sent 
in  his    bill   thus  : 

Elias  Smith,  to ,  Dr. 

To  4  sticks  of  timber  10  inches  square,  20 
feet  long,  86,00. 

I  told  his  son-in-law,  the  timber  would  not 
have  been  so  long  and  large,  had  the  trees 
stood  growing  till  then  ;  that  he  might  mea- 
sure them  if  he  pleased.  I  also  shewed  him 
the  subscription  paper.  He  took  the  four 
dollars  and  "  went  his  way." 

Some  who  gave  me  work,  brought  in  a 
bill,  at  seventy-five  cents  per  day ;  others 
I  hired  charged  but  fifty  cents.  I  allowed 
all  their  demands,  and  settled  with  the  whole, 
with  my  house  and  note  for  preachiug. 

Some  have  tried  to  make  strangers  believe 
I  wronged  the  people  there,  by  keeping  their 
money,  but  if  this  does  not  satisfy  them, 
where  the  wrong  was,  let  theip  go  to  Woburn, 
or  to  the  county  records  in  Cambridge.  It 
did  not  distress  them  at  all  to  take  all  from 
me  they  could,  after  I  had  labored  with 
them  several  years,  receiving  only  a  scanty 
living  :  nor  did  it  distress  the  leaders  to 
do  all  in  their  power  to  injure  my  character, 
and  prevent  my  future  iisefuWtess.  They 
have  since  found  their  punishment,  for  the 
wrens  done,  to  one  who  ever  wished  their 
well. 

Having  settled  my   affairs,  in  the  month  of 
September,  1801,  I  took  my  everlasting  leave 


BLIAS    SMITH.  291 

from  installations,  and  hireling  plans,  such 
bondage  as  I  had  endured  there,  and  sa,t  out 
in  a  chaise,  with  my  wife  and  three  children, 
(one  of  which  was  born  there,  April  23, 1799>) 
for  Salisbury,  N.  II.  and  arrived  there  in  a 
few  days. 

At  the  time  of  leaving  Wobura,  it  was  my 
determination  to  preach  no  more,  if  I  could 
remain  in  silence,  choosing  to  labor  hard  for 
a  living,  rather  than  be  so  tormented  with  the 
doctrines  I  had  preached,  the  bondage  endu- 
red, and  the  cruel  treatment  of  such  as  would 
be  my  friends  when  bound  to  them,  and  ene- 
mies when  free  from  such  bondage.  After  my 
removal  to  Salisbury,  my  time  was  taken  up 
through  the  week  in  attending  the  store,  and 
every  Sunday  in  preaching,  either  in  North- 
field,  or  some  town  near. 

Sometime  in  November,  of  that  year,  my 
youngest  brother,  who  had  embraced  the 
doctrine  called  universalism,  came  to  preach 
at  Salisbury  in  the  baptist  meeting-house.  1 
attended  the  meeting  and  hearing  him  de- 
scribe the  inconsistencies  of  Calvinism,  my 
mind  was  greatly  taken  hold  of  by  his  new 
doctrine,  and  though  in  the  evening  after  hi* 
preaching,  I  had  confounded  him,  yet  a 
thought  passed  through  my  mind  that  his  doc- 
trine  might  be  true,  or  at  least  more  merciful 
than  the  doctrine  of  Calvin,  As  my  mind 
ran  upon  the  doctrine,  I  read  Winchester  •' 
dialogues,  Cheneifs  writings,  and  Hunting* 
ton's  ki  Calvinism  improved,  or  salvation  Jbv 
all  men."    Being  convinced  'hat  calvimsm 


292  LIFE    OF 

was  wrong,  I  concluded  that  of  course,  uni- 
versalisin  must  be  right,  and  my  mind  con- 
sented  that  it  was  so. 

Having  made  this  new  discovery,  as  it  was 
considered,  the  change  in  my  mind  was  soon 
sounded  abroad:  some  were  mad,  some  pleased, 
and  many  real  christians  grieved.  One  Sunday 
I  preached  twice  upon  unicersalism,  in  the  con- 
gregational meeting-house  at  Boscawen,  un- 
der many  embarrassments,  on  account  of  the 
many  plain  passages  of  scripture  which 
testified  against  that  doctrine,  as  well  as 
against  Calvinism.  That  doctrine  led  me  in- 
to the  company  of  those  whose  conduct  was 
contrary  to  the  doctrine  of  Christ,  and  it  also 
caused  me  to  offend  against  the  generation  of 
God's  children.  I  reraaiued  in  it  about  fif- 
teen days,  and  was  very  unhappy  through 
the  whole.  My  mind  was  ensnared,  and  I 
myself  in  a  situation  IV  ich   it   was 

in  my  power  is  extricate  myself.     I  found 
ad  ptiU  entangled  with  the  did 

vinistic  doctrine,   and  that  about   all  the 
difference   between  Calvinism  and  universal- 
ism  was  in  the  number.     One  taught  that  a 
part  were  safe  being  predestinated  ;  the  other, 
all  were  safe  upon  the  same  plan. 

While  meditating  upon  <  ctrines  and 

my  own  situation,  and  saj  hat  shall  I 

do?  there   was  a   gentle   whisper  to  my  un- 
derstanding in  these  words  :    "  Drop 
both,    and    search    the    scriptures."     This 
command    was    immediately    consented    to  • 
and  instantly   my  mind  was   freed  from  tha 


ELIAS    SMITH.  293 

entanglement  before  experienced,  and  im- 
mediately I  sung,  "  Our  soul  is  escaped  as 
a  bird  out  of  the  snare  of  the  fowler,  the 
snare  is  broken,  and  we  are  escaped,  our  help 
is  in  the  name  of  the  Lord.'*  From  that  mo- 
ment, my  mind  was  delivered  from  Calvinism, 
nniversalism.  and  deism,  three  doctrines  of 
men,  which  people  love,  who  do  not  love 
holiness.  These  three  things  I  had  been 
troubled  with  at  times,  for  many  years,  but 
they  left  me  then,  and  for  fourteen  years  I 
have  believed  them  to  be  contrary  to  the  doc- 
trine of  Christ,  and  so  I  consider  them  now, 
(Jan.  30,  1816,)  and  so  must,  unless  I  reject 
the  doctrine  of  Christ. 

Beins  convinced  of  the  error  of  calvi n 
and   universalism,  I  requested  leave  of  the 
people  in  Salisbury  to  preach   one   Sum 
publicly  to  renounce  universalism,  and  | 
them  my  reasons  for  rejecting  the  doctrine  as 
false.     Many  people  attended,  but   some  oi 
the  universalists,  after  tbe  people  assembled; 
objected  to  my  giving  the  reasons  for 
ins:  the  doctrine. 

Anthony  Whitmore,  Esq.  spake  against  it 
in  his  pew,  before  I  began  to  speak.     C; 
David    Pettingfll,    said,    that    the   preacher, 
ought  to  have  liberty  to  give  his  mind   p 
licly,   and  motioned   that  all  who  were  in  £&- 
vor  of  it  would  rise  from  their  seats.     T 
greater   part  arose,    and  he  told  me  the  way 
was  clear  to  proceed. 

My  text  was  this,  2  Cor.  i\\  8,  "But  / 
renounced  the  hidden  things  Ishonesty, 

Aa3 


S94  LIFE    OF 

not  walking  in  craftiness,  nor  handling  the 
word  of  God  deceitfully  ;  but  by  manifesta- 
tion of  the  truth,  commending  ourselves  to 
every  man's  conscience  in  the  sight  of  God." 
It  was  generally  thought  that  Mr.  Whitmote 
dreaded  the  reasons  which  would  be  brought 
for  rejecting  universalism  as  false  doctrine. 
The  meeting  ended  in  peace,  and  the  people 
retired,  but  Mr.  W.  was  greatly  mortified 
and  displeased. 

Having  passed  through  this  scene,  I  about 
determined  soon  to  desist  from  preaching,  be- 
ing at  loss  what  to  preach  to  be  consistent. 
Having  lost  all  my  system,  my  mind  was 
prepared  to  search  the  scriptures,  but  being 
engaged  in  worldly  business,had  but  little  time 
to  read,  and  therefore  concluded  a3  the  state 
of  things  then  were,  to  preach  on  Sundays, 
and  attend  to  my  business  through  the  week 
as  other  men  do.  In  this  situation  I  remained 
for  several  weeks.  On  a  certain  day,  being 
alone,  and  meditating  on  my  situation,  there 
came  a  voice  as  from  heaven,  to  my  under- 
standing, which  said,  "  Give  an  account  of 
thy  stewardship  ;  for  thou  mayest  be  no  lon- 
ger steward."  This  came  with  power  to  my 
heart,  and  I  said,  if  this  takes  place,  I  am 
forever  undone.  There  was  placed  before 
me  Christ  and  the  world,  and  a  choice  for  me  ; 
which  was  to  give  up  all  for  Christ,  or  give 
him  up  for  what  there  is  without  Christ.  My 
choice  was  at  once  made.  I  said  Christ  is 
all,  let  me  have  this,  and  the  rost  I  willingly 
renounce. 


ELIAS    SMITH.  295 

My  conclusion  was  that  entering  into  th& 
mercantile  business  was  wrong,  as  my  work 
was  something  else ;  and  wished  myself  free. 
I  soon  became  greatly  distressed  on  account 
of  leaving  the  work  of  preaching  so  inucli  as 
I  had,  and  knew  not  how  to  get  free  from  my 
present  entanglement.  In  January,  1802,  I 
was  brought  almostinto  a  state  of  despair ;  my 
evidence  of  being  ever  converted  to  God  was 
almost  wholly  gone ;  1  had  no  enjoyment  in  the 
things  of  the  world,  nor  in  religion.  I  con- 
sidered myself  the  most  wretched  being  on 
earth,  forsaken  of  God  and  man,  and  on  the 
borders  of  despair. 

About  this  time,  peace  took  place  between 
France  and  England.  This  had  a  great  ef- 
fect on  imported  goods.  In  a  short  time  our 
goods  would  not  sell  in  the  country  for  what 
we  gave  for  them  in  Boston.  This  with  my 
other  trouble,  almost  unfitted  me  for  any  kind 
of  business  for  some  time.  Our  capital  was 
small,  and  Mre  owed  between  four  and  five 
thousand  dollars,  and  but  a  small  part  of  the 
capital  belonged  to  me.  The  other  two  men 
said,  if  I  would  give  up  what  I  bad,  give 
them  a  deed  of  my  house  there,  to  make  our 
creditors  safe,  they  would  take  the  whole  up- 
on themselves,  clear  me  from  all  the  debts, 
and  give  me  an  obligation,  that  if  they  got 
through  with  the  debts,  with  what  stock 
they  had,  and  debts  due,  they  would  give  me 
back  a  deed  of  the  house. 

This  proposal  I  took  up  with,  having  no- 
thing left  then  but  an  horse  and  chaise,  an&xpy 


296  LIFE    OF 

furniture  ;  and  owing  my  private  debts  not 
far  from  six  hundred  dollars.  This  was  a 
distressing  time  to  me  and  my  family.  My 
wife  remained  unmoved  through  the  whole, 
believing  Ave  should  be  provided  for,  though 
we  had  in  one  year  fallen  from  affluence  to 
poverty,  from  honor  to  contempt.  One  of  the 
company  told  his  brother-in-law,  whom  I 
owed,  that  if  he  wished,  he  could  get  my 
horse  and  chaise,  (as  I  was  told,)  ami  that 
was  all  he  could  get.  These  I  agreed  to  give 
up  after  carrying  my  family  to  my  father-in- 
law,  at  Newmarket. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

In  the  month  of  March,  1802,  my  distress 
©f  mind  abated,  and  I  felt  some  hope  in  God, 
that  I  should  yet  praise  him  ;  and  concluded 
that  my  disobedience  was  the  cause  of  so 
much  outward  and  inward  trouble.  In 
April,  I  carried  my  family  to  Newmarket, 
and  my  father-in-law  was  both  able  and  will- 
ing to  keep  them,  till  I  could  find  an  home 
for  them.  My  health  was  greatly  impaired, 
by  reason  of  the  trouble  which  came  on  me. 

My  flesh  had  wasted  away,  and  many  con- 
cluded my  days  would  soon  be  numbered. 
My  horse  and  carriage  was  at  that  time  given 
up  to  the  man  I  owed,  and  what  that  did  not 
pay,  he  never  drove  me  to  pay.  I  had  at  that 
time,  forty -Jive  dollars,  which  was  all  I  had 
on  earth,  and  saw  no  way  to  pay  what  was 
honestly  due  co  others. 


ELIAS    SMITH.  S{# 

Soon    r  y    arrival    at   Xewmarket, 

Deacon  Jo  and    Abel   Wii 

from  Woburn,  came  to  see  me.     The  latter  I 

dollars.     Mr  father-in-law  signed 

ith  me.  and  I  paid  it  at   the   ti: 

I  owed  a  man  in  Woburn  about  fourteen  dol- 

,  which  I  wished  Deacon  Convert  to  \ 
He  would  not,  unless  I  would  give  him  a  bill 
of  sale  of  ail  my  furniture  at  Woburn,  and  he 
give  me  Iris  word  that  he  would  give  it  up 
Id  the  debt.  The  debt  I  paid,  but 
he  has  not  to  this  day  given  me  up  the  bill 
of  sale :  and  there  the  fur  ^  mains,  for 

ought  I  know. 

In  the  spring  of   180£:.  1  walked  on  foot, 

and  preached  where  1  ;gh 

much  cast  down,  and  but  little  courage  to  do 

tessu     In  me    it  was 

it  prayer  that  the  Lord  would  so 

order  it,  that  I  might 

ikf  I 
9  Travelling  to  y  ].     After  I 

I  travel!  et  Gil- 

man,  of  Newmark: 
horse  £  hs. 

In  June,  tl  P*ngt 

ir    own  e  tight  my  ture 

fro  id  :ravc 

a  present.     In  Jam  live, 

I  were  v 

Th  i   but  one  of  my  creditors  who 

;  ess  me  :  his  wrath  I  ap- 

by  sending  him  -five  dollars  out 


293  LIFE    OF 

of  my  forty-five  ;  and  my  watch  for  security  six 
months,  telling  him  if  that  was  not  enough, 
be  might  take  my  cloak  also.  My  watch 
stood  bound  for  me  six  months,  at  which  time 
I  paid  him  all  and  he  returned  the  watch. 

For  many  years  my  mind  had  been  exer- 
cised upon  the  situation  of  professors  of  re- 
ligion, and  particularly  upon  the  different 
denominations  who  considered  themselves 
christians.  When  in  my  twenty-fourth  year, 
I  believed  there  would  be  a  people  bearing  a 
name  different  from  all  the  denominations 
then  in  this  country  ;  but  what  they  would 
be  called,  I  then  could  not  tell.  In  the  spring 
of  1802,  having  rejected  the  doctrine  of  Calvin 
and  universalism,  to  search  the  scriptures  to 
find  truth,  I  found  the  name  which  the  follow- 
ers of  Christ  ought  to  bear  ;  which  was 
christians.  Acts  xi.  28.  My  mind  being 
fixed  upon  this  as  the  right  name,  to  the  ex- 
clusion of  all  the  popular  names  in  the  world, 
in  the  month  of  May,  at  a  man's  house  in 
Epping,  N.  H.  by  the  name  of  Lawrence, 
where  I  held  a  meeting,  and  spake  upon  the 
text,  Acts  xi.  26.  I  ventured  for  the  first  time, 
softly  to  tell  the  people,  that  the  name 
christian  was  enough  for  the  followers  of 
Christ,  without  the  addition  of  the  word  bap- 
tist, methodist,  &c,  It  was  in  this  meeting 
that  I  first,  in  a  gentle  manner,  spake  against 
the  catechism,  as  an  invention  of  men.  All 
this  was  done  in  much  trembling,  on  acco'-nf 
•f  what  might  follow. 


EL1AS    SMITH.  S99 

In  the  forepart  of  this  year,  two  men  in 
Portsmouth,  N.  H.  George  Osborne  and 
Daniel  Mason,  who  were  baptists,  obtained 
leave  of  the  selectmen  to  have  baptist 
preachers  attend  a  meeting  in  the  north 
school-house,  every  other  Wednesday  even- 
ing. Having  obtained  the  school-house,  they 
applied  to  Elder  Henry  Pottle  of  Stratham, 
to  preach  with  them,  and  to  invite  other 
preachers  to  visit  the  town  and  preach,  as 
this  was  the  first  open  door  the  baptists  ever 
had  to  preach  in  that  town. 

At  the  time  he  received  this  invitation,  I 
was  in  Stratham,  and  he  requested  me  to  go 
with  him.  We  appointed  a  time  to  go,  which 
was  two  weeks  from  that  day.  At  the  day 
appointed  we  went  to  Portsmouth,  and  put 
up  with  Levi  Wiggins,  who  lived  about  ons 
mile  and  an  half  out  of  town.  Here  we  left 
our  horses,  and  after  dinner,  walked  into  the 
town,  and  went  first  to  see  Charles  Peirce,  a 
book-seller,  who  was  a  baptist.  With  him 
we  soon  became  acquainted,  as  he  expected 
us  at  that  time. 

As  tli3  meeting  was  to  be  in  the  school- 
house  the  next  evening,  he  invited  me  to 
preach  in  the  place  he  had  formerly  used  as  a 
printing-office  ;  which  he  had  tnrned  into  a 
place  for  holding  evening  meetings.  This 
first  meeting  was  held  Tuesday  evening,  the 
second  week  in  July,  1803.  The  room  was 
quite  full  of  people,  and  all  appeared  atten- 
tive to  hear  the  stranger. 

A  meeting  was  appointed  for  me  the  next 
evening  at  the  north  school-hoiibe,  and  as 


308  LIFE    OF 

many  people  attended  as  the  house  would 
contain.  Among  the  many  was  Joseph  Buck- 
minster.  D.  D.  one  of  the  ministers  of  the 
town.  The  people  conducted  decently,  and 
at  the  close  retired  in  peace.  By  request,  I 
appointed  to  preach  there  again  in  two  weeks 
from  that  evening.  The  next  day  we  went 
to  Kfttery,  to  visit  Moses  Safford,  who  had 
"spoken  some  in  public. 

About  that  time  there  was  much  uneasi- 
ness among  the  young  baptist  preachers  iu 
Newhaxnpshire,  on  account  of  some  oppo- 
sition to  exhortations  and  other  liberty  used 
at  the  time  of  their  annual  associations. 
Some  of  the  old  ministers  had  opposed  it. 
Elder  Pottle,  who  preached  a  free  gospel 
wished  for  a  reformation  in  this  thing.  This 
he  mentioned,  and  wished  me  to  join  him  in 
it.  He  was  the  first  who  laid  a  foundation 
in  my  mind  for  a  general  separation  from  the 
ealvinistic  baptists.  He  proposed  this  to 
Moses  Safford,  who  agreed  to  join  with  him. 
This  matter  was  proposed  to  others  who  fell 
in  with  it,  and  in  the  course  of  the  summer, 
we  held  a  meeting  at  Sandhornton  called, 
"The  christian  conference."  The  follow- 
ing preachers  were  members  of  the  confer* 
ence  :  Samuel  Shepard;  Isaiah  Stone:  Henry 
Pottle  :  Uriah  Smith  ;  Eliphalet  Merrill  ; 
John  Crocket;  Thomas  Paul ;  Elder  Web- 
ster ;  Moses  Safford  ;  Samuel  Applebee  ; 
Elias  Smith.  The  design  of  these  men  was 
understood  to  be  this  ;  to  leave  behind  every 
thing  in  name,  doctrine,  or  practice,  not  found 


ELIAS    SMITH.  301 

in  Hie  new-testament.  Whither  they  thou: 
at  first  this  would  carry  them  I  cannot  it 
though  I  conclude  they  did  not,  for  when 
they  saw  where  it  would  end,  the  greater 
part  went  baek,  and  apologized  for  their  con- 
duct, and  remain  with  the  baptists  to  this  day. 
I  was  confident  at  first,  that  if  we  attended  to 
our  proposition,  it  would  end  in  a  final  sep- 
aration from  the  baptist  denomination.  So  it 
proved  in  the  end. 

The  conference  in  Sandbornton  I  attend- 
ed, and  the  meeting  at  Portsmouth,  at  ths 
time  appointed.  What  was  said  of  the  other 
meeting  caused  more  to  attend  than  the  house 
would  hold.  The  next  evening  a  meeting 
was  appointed  in  Mr.  Peirce's  room.  This 
was  full,  and  the  yard,  as  far  as  the  people 
could  hear.  The  meeting  at  Portsmouth,  eve- 
ry other  Wednesday  evening,  I  -attended  till 
September.  The  preaching  differed  so  much 
from  reading  sermons,  that  it  drew  the  atten- 
tion of  many,  and  at  every  meeting  they  wish- 
ed to  hear  as;ain  of  this  matter  :  which  caus- 
ed  some  alarm  among  the  ministers,  who 
were  in  general  settled  upon  their  lees. 

In  August,  I  was  requested  to  preach  at 
£  o'clock  on  Sunday,  in  the  south  meeting-. 
house  ;  and  the  meeting  was  appointed.  That 
day  I  preached  at  Stratham,  and  a  brother 
from  Portsmouth,  (Jeremiah  Low,)  was  aL 
meeting,  to  go  down  with  me  at  the  time.  We 
were  there  at  the  hour,  but  the  house  was 
shut,  and  no  signs  of  a  meeting.  Brother  Low 
went  to  las  house,  and  I  walked  up  Market- 
Bb 


SOS  LIFE    OF 

i 

street,  alone,  and  went  to  see  Mr.  C.  Peirce, 
to  know  why  the  meeting  was  not  appointed. 
At  first  he  was  loth  to  tell  me.  but  at  last  said 
that  one  of  the  ministers  of  the  town,  had 
been  into  the  country,  and  returned  with  the 
following  report  :  '*  That  Mr.  Smith  had 
taken  seven  hnudred  dollars  from  the  people 
at  JVobitrn  ;  that  he  Went  to  Boston  and  laid 
out  the  money  for  goods  and  fed  into  the 
country  ;  that  the  people  pursued  him,  took 
a  wan  tiie  goods,  and  let  him  run,"  8£c.  task- 
ed Mr.  P.  if  it  looked  like  truth,  to  find  a 
thief,  or  robber,  and  then  let  him  run  at  lars;e  ? 
He  said  no.  I  assured  him  that  this  was  a 
false  report,  and  wholly  without  foundation. 
Mr.  Peircc  to  be  certain,  wrote  to  Dr.  Still- 
man,  of  Boston,  who  wrote  back,  that  he  nev- 
er had  heard  of  anv  such  thins: ;  and  direct- 
cd  him  to  write  to  Deacon  Convers,  of  Wo- 
burn.  This  he  did,  and  the  Deacon  wrote, 
that  though  there  were  some  differences  be- 
tween me  and  the  church,  yet  they  had  no- 
thing against  my  moral  character.  This,  in 
a  few  days,  upset  the  clergyman's  plan  ;  I 
tarried  that  week,  and  preached  in  the  uni- 
versalis meeting-house,  having  obtained  con- 
sent of  the  minister,  and  the  principal  men  of 
the  society. 

By  enquiring  it  was  found,  that  the  report 
of  the  clergyman,  was  reported  to  him  by 
another  clergyman  in  the  country.  That 
man  I  visited,  and  asked  if  he  had  told  Mr. 

as  he  reported.     He  said  he  told  it 

as  he  heard  it  from  the  Reverend  Mr. 


FX1AS    SMITH.  303 

and  not  as  the  truth.  Here,  the  story  ran 
and  died  in  their  hand*.  Not  far  from 
this  time,  I  visited  Dr.  Buckminster,  in  com- 
pany with  Mr.  Peirce.  He  asked  me  if  I 
held  to  close  communion,  &c.  and  soon  began 
upon  baptism*  Like  the  men  of  Laish,  he 
was  destitute  of  weapons.  He  brought  up 
the  old  fend-off;  into  means  unto.  ''•  Christ 
(said  he)  went  into  the  mountain.  Do  you 
think  there  was  an  hole  that  he  went  into?*' 
Sir-,  it  is  altogether  likely  ;  for  Paul  says, 
u  They  wandered  in  dens  and  caves  of  the 
earth."  Have  you  been  into  your  gardpn 
to-day  Mr.  Buckminster ?  Yes.  said  he.  "Is 
there  an  hole  where  you  go  down  ?""  Ne, 
said  he,  I  have  been  within  the  enclosure. 
So,  said  I,  they  went  into  the  water,  not  to 
the  edge  of  it ;  but  within  the  enclosure.  So 
we  ended  the  matter. 

From  what  was  done  by  the  clergy,  and 
their  friends  :  what  was  said  by  the  people  : 
I  found  there  was  on  the  clergy  side,  a  spirit- 
ed opposition  to  my  preaching  in  the  town, 
while  at  the  same  time,  a  considerable  num- 
ber of  respectable  people  were  determined  to 
have  me  preach  as  often  as  I  could  attend. 
There  were  a  few  real  christians,  and  as  few 
as  I  ever  knew  in  so  large  a  town.  Tl 
knew  the  gospel  sound,  and  welcomed 
messengers  of  peace.  The  preaching  and 
opposition  caused  no  small  stir  about  that 
way. 

The  last  meeting  I  attended  in  August,  my 
B)ind  was  much  troubled  on  account  oj 


304  LIFE    OF 

opposition.  The  man  where  I  put  up,  had 
not  much  courtage  :  and  his  wife  was  quite 
opposed  to  my  preaching  there,  or  being  in 
the  house.  At  this  tinie,  I  was  obliged  to  go 
out  of  his  house  at  11  o'clock  at  night,  as  she 
would  not  consent  for  me  to  stay  through  the 
night. 

The  man  went  with  me  to  Jeremiah  Low's 
house  :  here  I  tarried  in  peace  till  morning. 
My  mind  was  much  troubled,  on  account  of 
the  tumult,  so  that  sleep  departed  from  me. 
In  the  night,  it  was  made  manifest  to  me,  1 
believe,  by  the  spirit  of  truth,  that  God  would 
work  in  Portsmouth,  and  that  I  should  see  a 
glorious  reformation,  and  turning  to  God  a- 
mong  old  and  young.  This  I  told  the  brother 
who  slept  in  the  bed  with  m&  He  hoped  it 
would  be  so,  but  feared  I  should  be  disap- 
pointed. I  had  such  a  sense  of  the  situation 
\q  people,  and  the  ministers  who  cried 
hen  ihki  o  peace,  that  I  could 

Train  from  going  through  the  streets 
in  the  night  to  warn  the  people  to  flee  from 
the  wrath  to  come.  From  that  time  it  was 
in  my  mind,  that  God  would  pour  out 
his  spirit  before  many  months.  This  took 
place  the  next  March  and  April. 

The  first  Sunday  in  September  of  (hat  j 
by  request,  I  attended  a  meeting  in  the  north 
school-house.  This  by  some,  was  consider- 
ed almost  treason.  A  considerable  number 
had  resolution  sufficient  to  get  by  the  meet- 
ing-houges,  and  those  who  were  going  another 


^LIAS    SMITH.  395 

way.  From  this  time  till  December,  I  preach- 
ed in  Portsmouth  half  the  time. 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 

In  the  course  of  the  summer  of  1802,  new 
and  strange  things  were  made  manifest  to  my 
understanding:.      For    many   years    I    liad 
thought  much  upon  the    doctrines  and  con- 
duct of  the  state  clergy  ;  but  the  whole  was 
a  mystery  to  me.     One  day  in  the  month  of 
August,  as  1  sat  in  my  hired  house,  in  Epp- 
ing,  meditating  upon  the  opposition  the  clergy 
ia  Portsmouth,  and  other  places  made  to  my 
preaching  the  doctrine  of  the  new- testament, 
a  thought  passed  through  my  mind,  that  the 
clergy  in  general   were  settled  upon  a  plan 
exactly  opposite  to  the  new  testament.    This 
led  me  to  compare  their  doctrine,  laws,  con- 
duct, manner  of  preaching,  titles,   and  man- 
ner of  being  supported,  with  the  new-iesia- 
ment  ;  by  which  I  found,    they  were,  as  to 
their  plan,  what  the  new-testament  calls  anti- 
christ.     Here  I  first  began  to  write.     Until 
that  time   all  my  communications  were  with 
iny  tongue.     Though  people  had  frequently 
requested  me  to  write,  my  determination  was, 
never  to  publish   any  book,    till  over   thirty 
years  old.     I  was  now  thirty  three  years  and 
two  months  old. 

With  the  above  subject  in  mind,  I  took  my 
pen,  aftd  began  to  compare  the  apostles  and 
clergy  together,  in  the  following  manner  : 
Bbd 


£06  LfFE    OF 

•Apostles.  "  And  how  shall  they  preach, 
except  they  be  sent  ?"  Horn.  x.  15. 

Clergy.  "And  how  shall  they  preachy 
except  they  be  sent  to  the  college  ?P 

•Apostles.     "  Who  also  hath"  made  us  able 
ministers  of  the  new- testament,  not  of  the  let- 
ter, but  of  the  spirit  :  for  the  tetter  kilteth, 
but  the  spirit  giveth  life."  2  Cor.  iii.  6. 

Clergy.  "Which  (the  college)  also  hath 
made  us  popular  ministers  of  morality  ;  not 
of  the  spirit,  but  of  the  letter;  for  the  spirit 
giveth  life,  but  the  letter  killeth." 

Apostles.  "  Fori  neither  received  it  of  man, 
neither  was  I  taught  it  but  bv  the  revelation 
of  Jesus  Christ"  Gal.  i.  i% 

Clergy.  "For  I  received  it  of  man,  and 
\vas  taught  it  by  man,  and  not  by  the  revela- 
tion of  Jesus  Christ." 

Apostles.  "But  we  have  this  treasure  in 
earthen  vessels,  that  the  excellency  of  the  pow- 
er may  be  of  God,  and  not  of  us."  S  Cor.  iv.  7* 

Clergy.  "Eat  we  have  this  treasure  in  our 
notes,  that  the  excellency  without  the  power, 
may  be  of  us,  and  not  of  God." 

Apostles.  "  Go  ye,  therefore,  and  teach  all 
nations,  baptising  them  in  the  name  of  the 
Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  Hie  Holy 
Ghost  ;  teaching  them  to  observe  all  things 
whatsoever  I  have  commanded  you  ;  and  lo, 
I  am  with  you  always,  even  unto  the  end  of 
the  world.    Amen,"  Matth.  xxvii.   18,  19. 

Clergy.  "  Go  ye,  therefore,  intoui  town 
where  there  is  no  settled  minister,  and  read 
piety  and   morality  to   all  who  rofhe  where 


ELI  AS    SMITH.  307 

you  are  :  sprinkling  their  children  in  the 
raom  of  circumcision,  in  ihe  name  of  tbe  trin- 
ity :  teaching  them  that  the  commands  of 
Chtist  are  not  essential  ;  and  lo,  rich  world- 
ly men  will  be  with  you  as  long  as  you  live/"7 
*  upnzfles.  "The  eiders  which  are  among 
you  I  exhort,  who  also  am  an  elder,  and  a 
witness  of  the  sufferings  of  Christ,  and  also  a 
partaker  of  the  glory  that  shall  be  revealed  : 
feed  the  flock  of  God  which  is  among  yon, 
taking  the  oversight  thereof  ;  not  by  con- 
straint, but  willingly,  not  far  filthy  lucre,  but 
of  a  ready  mind,  neither  as  being  lords  over 
God's  heritage,  but  being  eusampies  of  the 
flack  ;  and  when  the  chief  Shepherd  shall  ap- 
pear, ye  shall  receive  a  crowii  of  glory  which 
iadeth  not  away."     1  Pet.  v.  1,2,  3,  4. 

Clereg.  "  The  reverend  clergy  who  are 
with  me  I  advise,  who  am  also  a  clergyman, 
and  a  D.  D.  a  member  of  that  respectable 
body,  who  are  numerous,  and  "  who  seek 
honor  one  of  another,"  and  a  partaker  of  the 
benefit  of  it,  feed  yourselves  upon  the  church 
and  parish,  ever  which  we  have  settled  you 
for  life,  and  who  are  obliged  to  support  you, 
whether  they  like  you  or  not  ;  taking  the 
command  by  constraint,  for  filthy  lucre,  not  of 
a  ready  mind,  as  lords  over  men's  souls,  not  as 
ensamples  to  them,  and  when  commencement 
day  shall  appear,  you  shall  receive  some 
honorary  title,  which  shall  make  you  appear 
very  resectable  among  the  reverend  clergy." 
^  Apostles.  "Then  they  that  gladly  received 
his  word,  w^fere  baptised."     Acts  11,  It- 


SG8  LIFE    OF 

Clergy.  « Then  they  that  ignorautly 
owned  the  covenant,  had  their  children 
sprinkled." 

Apostles.  «  And  upon  this  rock  I  will 
build  my  church,  and  the  gates  of  hell  shall 
not  prevail  against  it."     Matth.  xvi.  18, 

Clergy.  "  And  upon  a  platform  have  we 
built  our  churches  and  the  gates  of  heaven  pre- 
vail against  us." 

These  with  many  other  places  of  scripture 
I  wrote  in  the  same  manner,  and  made  sever- 
al remarks  on  them,  which  were  afterwards 
published,  with  the  title  of  "  The  clergyman's 
looking-glass,  or  ancient  and  modern  things 
contrasted."  This  was  not  published  till  af- 
ter two  others,  though  written  first. 

In  the  same  summer,  I  preached  in  North- 
wood  upon  baptism,  from  Eph.  iv.  5.  "  One 
haptumP  By  request  the  discourse  was 
printed,  and  was  the  first  I  ever  published. 
In  the  discourse  the  seven  following  things 
were  taken  up.  i.  That  there  is  but  one 
baptism,  which  is  water  baptism.  2.  The 
author  of  that  one  baptism.  3.  The  subjects  of 
it.     4.    The   mode.     5.    The  administrator. 

6.  The   name  in  which  it  ought  to  be  done. 

7.  The  design  of  baptism.     This  book  made 
no  small  stir  among  the  sectarians. 

At  the  time  this  book  was  written,  it  was 
not  in  my  power  to  prepare  it  for  the  press. 
I  could  not  tell  where  to  place  the  capital  let- 
ters, nor  the  points.  This  Mr.  Peirce  did, 
and  by  seeing  him  do  it.  I  soon  learnt  so  much 
as  to  prepare  my  books*  so  that  people  could 


ELIA.S    SMITH.  309 

find  my  meaning,  by  reading  the  book  after 
it  was  printed. 

Such  my  reduced  situation  at  that  time  as 
to  property,  that  the  only  way  left  to  get  my 
book  printed  was  to  engage  to  pay  the  prin- 
ters as  soon  as  enough  of  the  books  were  sold 
to  amount  to  his  price  for  doing  them.  Mr. 
Nathaniel  Peirce  engaged  to  print  it  so,  and 
in  that  way  received  his  demand.  That 
summer  I  wrote  by  request  of  the  "  Christian 
conference."  articles  of  faith  and  church 
building,  which  we  then  thought  necessary  to 
keep  a  church  together,  in  addition  to  "  the 
perfect  law  of  liberty" 

At  a  meeting  of  the  "  Christian  conference," 
held  in  Stratham,  in  September  of  that  year, 
these  articles  were  read  publicly,  and  highly 
approved  of  by  the  elders  present.  Dr* 
Samuel  Shepard  was  appointed  with  me  to 

ftnitii    and  prepare    them    for  the  press. 

it  address  came  out  in  the  pamphlet,  with 
both  our  names  as  a  committee,  in  which  we 
declared  them  orthodox.  This  was  ft  bold 
and  important  step  at  that  time,  for  by  these 
articles  we  condemned  all  others.  The  next 
step  was  to  disown  these,  and  hear  Christ 
in  all  things. 

In  October,  after  this  meeting,  my  friends 
itk  Portsmouth,  obtained  of  the  selectmen,  a 
place  over  the  market*  called  "  Jefferson- 
Hall/1  to  hold  meetings  in  every  Sunday, 
but  not  in  the  evening.  It  was  a  large  and 
convenient  place,  and  would  contain  not  far 
from    one    thousand    people.     The     people 


310  LIFE    OF 

made  seats,  a  temporary  pulpit,  and  in  a 
short  time  it  was  ready  to  meet  in.  This 
was  -considered  a  great  favor,  to  have  so 
goodV^,  place.  Soon  after  this,  the  people 
proposed  bringing  my  family  into  Portsmouth, 
add  they  agreed  to  support  them  if  --they 
came.  I  was  at  that  time  considered  a  bap- 
tist, as  nothing  had  been  done  publicly  to 
lead  the  people  to  think  otherwise.  Some 
stated  that  I  had  no  recommendations  from 
Woburn,  this  was  true,  and  they  iiad  never 
brought  any  thing  against  me,  and  the  bap- 
tist deacon  had  declared  in  writing  that 
my  character  stood  fair  with  them. 

In  November,  the  people  requested  me  to 
preach  in  "  Jefferson-Hall"  on  the  day  of 
the  annual  state  thanksgiving-day,  as  it  is 
called.  In  the  afternoon  I  spake  upon  the 
image  of  gold,  silver,  brass,  iron  and  clay, 
and  the  stone  which  brake  it  in  pieces,  re- 
corded in  the  second  chapter  of  the  book  of 
Daniel.  The  compound  image  I  considered 
the  Babylonian,  Persian,  Grecian,  and 
Roman  kingdoms.  The  stone,  the  king- 
dom of  the  most  high  God,  which  will  finally 
break  all  the  others,  and  grind  them  to  pow- 
der, so  that  the  earth  will  finally  be  cleared 
of  them,  and  the  kingdom  of  righteousness 
fill  the  whole  earth. 

This  subject  led  me  spea]v  of  the  cruelties 
peculiar  to  monarchies  ;  and  of  the  peculiar 
excellencies  of  a  "  republican  government." 
This  was  the  first  time  of  my  making  a  pub- 
lic declaration  of  my  political  principles. 


ELI  AS    SMITH.  31  i 

That  discourse,  some  of  the  principal  men 
in  Portsmouth  beard,  and  after  meeting  re- 
quested me  to  deliver  the  discourse  again  in 
the  same  place.  Accordingly  a  meeting  was 
appointed  in  the  hall  a  few  evenings  after. 

There  were  so  many  men  who  wished  to 
hear,  that  no  children  were  allowed  to*  go  in, 
and  but  few  women  attended.  The  place 
was  filled  with  men,  chiefly  republicans. 
Some  of  the  monarchy  men  attended  :  but 
could  not  relish  what  was  set  before  them. 

After  this,  by  request,  the  discourse  was 
written  and  printed,  and  has  gone  through 
three  large  editions,  and  is  yet  remembered 
to  the  pleasure  or  vexation  of  many. 


CHAPTER  XXXIIL 

On  the  12th  of  December,  1802,  my  family 
came  into  Portsmouth,  and  I  hired  of  Edward 
Call,  an  house  in  Bridge-street,  at  sixty  dol- 
lars per  year,  to  be  paid  quarterly.  This  we 
considered  as  the  hand  of  God,  who  had  thus 
provided  us  an  house,  though  but  a  few 
months  before  we  had  not  where  to  lay  our 
heads,  only  as  kind  friends  took  us  in.  We 
had  but  little  furniture,  having  left  so  much  in 
different  places,  and  were  in  other  respects 
very  poor.  The  thought  of  so  much  rent 
frequently  troubled  me,  but  the  Lord  always 
provided  for  us,  and  what  the  people  collected 
for  six  months,  was  sufficient  to  support  us, 
and  I  laid  up  besides,  one  hundred  dollars, 


31S  LIFE    OF 

which  was  designed   for  those  who  had  de- 
mands against  me. 

Fourteen  days  after  my  removal  to  Ports- 
mouth, the  great  tire  broke  out,  which  burnt 
the  principal  part  of  the  town.  This  was  a 
distressing  day  to  many.  Towards  day  of 
Dec.  2(5,  I  saw  the  woman  fleeing  from  the 
house  she  had  the  summer  before  refused  me 
a  lodging  in  for  one  night.  The  house  was 
entirely  consumed,  with  much  property  it  con- 
tained. The  fire  burnt  the  hall  where  we 
held  our  meetings  ;  this  at  first  greatly  damped 
our  spirits,  as  we  could  not  tell  where  to  meet. 
Through  the  mouths  of  January  and  Feb- 
ruary, we  held  our  meetings  in  the  north 
school-house. 

From  December  to  March,  the  brethren, 
five  in  number,  held  a  meeting  every  Saturday 
evening,  to  examine  our  articles,  that  we 
might  be  prepared  to  form  ourselves  into  a 
church  according  to  the  new-testament,  and 
to  be  called  christians,  without  any  sectarian 
name  added.  So  great  was  my  desire  to  see 
such  a  church,  that  I  thought  a  labor  of  twen- 
ty years  would  be  a  pleasure,  if  in  the  end  I 
I  might  see  twenty  united  walking  according 
to  the  new-testament.  In  the  time  of  my 
preaching,  from  July  to  January,  a  fewr  had 
professed  to  be  converted  to  God.  January 
2d,  foi  the  first  time,  I  baptised  three, 
Samuel  Woodbury,  John  E.  Palmer,  and 
Sally  Loud.  As  this  wras  a  new  thing,  mul- 
titudes attended,  and  behaved  as  well  as 
could  be  expected. 


ELIAS    SMITH.  313 

In  months  of  December,  January  and  Feb- 
ruary. I  kept  a  singing  school  ;  first  in  Mr. 
Pierce's  room,  and  after  it  was  burnt,  in  Mrs. 
Steward's  house.  This  school  proved  a  great 
blessing  to  many.  It  was  my  constant  prac- 
tice to  pray  with  my  scholars  at  the  close  of 
the  school ;  and  generally  to  tell  them  of  the 
importance  of  a  part  in  Christ,  that  they  might 
know  how  to  sing  the  song  of  Moses  and  the 
Lamb.  God  blessed  the  exhortations  and 
prayers,  to  the  awakening  of  the  greater 
part  of  the  school.  The  latter  part  of  the 
time  the  minds  of  many  in  the  school  were  so 
weighed  down  with  a  sense  of  their  undone 
situation,  that  they  would  set  and  weep,  with- 
out sounding  one  note.  Some  of  them  told 
me  they  couid  never  attend  the  school  again, 
until  they  found  peace  in  their  minds.  The 
last  evening  we  attended,  there  was  such  a 
weeping  and  sobing  among  the  young  men 
and  young  women,  that  they  could  not  sing ; 
they  all  wept,  and  I  wept  with  them.  At 
eight  o'clock,  we  all  left  the  school  and  went 
where  a  number  had  gathered  to  hold  a  prayer 
meeting. 

From  this  time,  which  was  about  the  lagt 
of  February,  1803,  the  good  work  increased 
gloriously  among  old  and  young.  By  the 
first  of  March,  our  Saturday  evening  meet- 
ing consisted  of  about  ten.  In  a  few  days  sev- 
eral more  were  baptised. 

When  our  number  was  some  short  of  twen 
ty,  we  agreed  to  consider  ourselves  a  chui 
of  Christ,  owning  him  as  our  only  Master, 

Cc 


314*  LIFE    OF 

Lard,  and  Lawgiver,  and  we  agreed  to  con- 
sider ourselves  christians,  without  the  addi- 
tion of  any  unscriptural  name.  One  even-, 
ing  we  agreed  to  write  to  the  baptist  churches 
in  Brentwood  Madbury,  Berwick,  and  some 
other  towns,  to  send  their  elders  and  chosen 
brethren  to  meet  with  us  the  third  Wednes- 
day in  March,  to  see  if  they  could  give  us 
fellowship  as  a  church  of  Christ,  according  to 
the  new-testament. 

They  came,  and  proposed  to  form  a  coun- 
cil, in  order  to  constitute  us  a  church  accord- 
ing to  the  order  of  the  baptists.  I  told  Dr. 
Shepard  there  was  no  need  of  that;  for  we 
were  already  a  church,  whether  they  acknowl- 
edged us  so  or  not.  They  all  agreed  to  con- 
sider us  a  church  of  Christ  in  fellowship  with 
them.  They  thought  we  were  baptists,  though 
we  were  called  by  another  name.  The  min- 
isters and  brethren  had  a  good  meeting  with 
us,  and  rejoiced  in  the  work  of  the  Lord. 
Our  number  that  day  was  twenty-two,  and  an 
happier  company,  I  believe,  were  never  seen 
on  earth  since  the  days  of  the  apostles. 

The  last  of  March,  we  obtained  leave  te 
hold  our  meetings  in  the  court-house.  This 
was  a  large  and  convenient  place.  The  first 
Sunday  in  April,  we  had  our  first  commu- 
nion. The  lawyers,  seats  were  just  enough 
to  contain  the  members,  who  joined  together 
to  shew  forth  the  Lord's  death,  in  that  com- 
mand. As  this  was  our  first  communion,  ma- 
ny came  to  see  and  hear  some  new  thing. 
This  to  me  and  many  others  was  an  heavenly 


ELI  AS    SMITH. 

place  in  Christ  Jesus.  Many  sat  around 
weeping,  while  considering  themselves  as  bar- 
ing neither  part  nor  lot  in  this  matter. 

About  this  time,  the  enemies  of  the  cross 
began  to  be  alarmed  aud  enraged.  On  Sun- 
day evenings,  there  was  some  noise  and  dis- 
turbance around  the  house,  and  in  the  lower 
part.  Several  made  a  ridicule  of  baptism  ; 
and  at  the  time  of  baptising  made  considera- 
ble disturbance. 

Sometime  in  April,  on  Sunday  morning,  I 
felt  a  strange  o^^^on  on  my  mind,  which 
was  unaccountable  to  e£.  My  mind  was  un- 
commonly solemn  before  the  forenoon  iiiocU 
ing  began.  The  most  I  could  tell  was,  that 
there  was  a  great  concern  on  my  mind  for 
those  who  were  without  hope,  and  without 
God  in  the  world.  In  this  situation  I  went 
to  the  court-house  at  the  usual  hour.  A  large 
number  of  people  had  collected,  and  appear- 
ed very  solemn.  After  setting  awhile  on  the 
judges  seat,  the  situaiion  of  the  people  cams 
on  my  mind,  so  that  I  could  say  with  the 
prophet,  '<I  am  pressed  as  a  cart  with 
sheaves."  At  first  I  wept,  then  sobed,  and  at 
last  cried  aloud,  being  unable  to  refrain.  I 
rem  lined  in  that  situation  aboat  half  an  hour  : 
and  at  the  same  time  almost  the  whole  as- 
sembly,  old  and  young,  were  in  tears  ;  and 
some  cried  oat,  being  unable  to  conceal  their 
distress.  As  soon  as  my  mind  was  enough 
composed  to  speak,  I  told  the  people  their 
dangerous  situation  was  the  cause  of  my 
trouble  ;  and   spake  to  them  about  half  an 


316  LIFE    &F 

hour  from  these  words  :  "They  that  are 
whole  need  not  the  Physician  ;  but  they  that 
are  sick."  I  have  ever  believed  that  this 
operation  was  by  the  spirit  of  (rod  ;  for  more 
than  fifty,  whose  minds  were  taken  hold  of  by 
the  truth  of  God  that  day,  were  afterwards 
brought  to  rejoice  in  the  truth  ;  and  they  de- 
clared that  their  attention  was  first  arrested 
that  forenoon. 

From  this  time  the  work  went  on  glorious- 
ly, so  that  in  about  one  year,  the  church  con- 
sisted of  about  one  huwlvcd  and  fifty  mem- 
bei  s.  In  this  month,  or  the  forepart  of  May, 
Mr.  Baldwin  came  to  see  us,  and  preached 
in  tbe  court-house,  and  in  Mr.  Walton's  meet- 
ing-house, to  the  general  satisfaction  of  these 
who  heard  him.  After  his  return,  he  told 
his  brethren  in  Boston  they  must  lay  aside 
all  their  prejudices  against  me,  as  God  was 
remarkably  blessing  my  labors  in  the  conver- 
sion of  sinners  from  the  errors  of  their  ways. 
Such  was  the  attention  of  the  people  to  hear 
the  word,  that  meetings  were  held  every  even- 
ing in  the  week,  for  some  considerable  time. 

As  there  was  much  singing  and  praying, 
preaching  and  exhortations  in  the  court- 
house, which  stood  but  a  few  feet  from  Mr. 
Buckrainsters  meeting-house,  some  com- 
plained that  our  meeting  disturbed  theirs. 
And  this  was  true,  for  so  it  had  done  from  the 
first  day  of  my  preaching  in  the  town.  This 
stirred  up  a  few  to  purchase  a  lot  on  which 
stood  an  house  twenty-five  feet  wide,  and 
about  forty-fiva  feet  long.      This  they  soon 


ELIAS    SMITH.  31$ 

turned  into  a  convenient  place  for  meetings  ; 
by  making  a  plain  pulpit,  pews,  and  a  small 
gallery.  The  house  would  contain  several 
hundreds.  This  raised  the  enmity  of  many 
against  me,  and  the  people  who  met  there, 
as  they  were  in  doubt  what  it  would  grow  to. 
Our  meeting-house  was  stoned  many  times 
when  full  of  people.  The  windows  were 
were  frequently  broken  ;  and  three  whole 
windows  were  once  carried  off  in  one  night. 
At  one  time  they  threw  a  vial  of  assafaetida 
into  the  aisle,  which  broke  as  it  fell  upon  the 
floor.  The  opposers  fired  guns  around  the 
house,  made  hidious  noises,  beat  drums, 
played  on  fiddles  and  fifes,  blew  horns  and 
whistles  ;  fastened  our  doer  when  th*  house 
was  full  of  people  ;  and  came  with  a  mob  to 
take  me  out  of  the  pulpit  when  preaching. 
I  was  often  disturbed  while  baptising  ;  and 
once  a  man  undertook  to  baptise  another  te 
shew  his  contempt  of  baptism. 

For  a  long  time  I  was  a  spectacle  to  those 
characters,  and  an  object  of  ridicule  while 
p  ssiug  the  streets.  Some  of  every  class, 
from  children  to  men  of  grey  hairs  treated  m& 
with  contempt,  while  passing  peaceably  along. 
I  often  received  abusive  language  from  people 
io  the  streets,  and  from  the  windows  of 
houses,  stores  and  work-shops  ;  but  none  of 
these  things  moved  me  from  testifying  to  them 
that  their  works  were  evil,  and  that  they 
were  under  the  influence  of  blind  guides. 

Awful  judgments,  were  sent  on  several  of 
those  who  opposed  me  and  the  work  of  God, 

Cc2 


318  LM^E    OF 

Several  were  taken  out  of  the  world  in  a 
sudden  and  awful  manner.  Some  afterwards 
acknowledged  tjieir  wickedness  and  found 
forgireness. 

In  the  winter  and  spring,  I  wrote  and  pub- 
lished in  the  Newhampshire  Gazette,  what 
was  afterwards  published  in  a  pamphlet,  en- 
titled,   "  The  history  of  anti-christ."      This 
sorely  grieved   the  friends  of  law  religion, 
and  those  who  were   attached   to  an  anti-re~ 
publican  government.      This  was  like  fuel, 
which  increased  a  fire  already  kindled  ;  as 
by  this  an  attack  was  made  upon  their  reli- 
gion and  politics  ;  and  it  was  not  long  before 
the  first  book  I  had  written  was  published, 
entitled :    "The  clergyman's  looking-glass, 
er*ancient   and  modern   things  contrasted." 
This  by  many  was  considered   almost  blas- 
phemy.     After   it  was  written,    I   read  the 
manuscript  to  Dr.  Sheparrd,  who  highly  ap- 
proved of  it  ;  but  afterwards"  he  was  afraid 
it  might  bare  too  hard  Upon  us  also.     Elder 
William  Batcheldor  also  approved  of  it,  and 
proposed  a  profitable  correction  in  one  place, 
which   was  published  as  he  proposed.    All 
these  things,    and  preaching  contrary  to  the 
popular  doctrines  of  the  day  ;  exposing  the 
fashionable   prayer   books  published    by  the 
clergy  in  Portsmouth  and  around,  led  many 
to  say,    as    of  Lot,    "  This  one  fellow  came 
in  to  sojourn  among  us,   and  he    must  needs 
be  judge."    This  was  a  trying  day,     though 
not  an  hair  of  my  head  ever  fell  to  the  ground 
through  the  malice  of  my  enemies,, 


ELIAS    SMITH.  31$ 

About  this  time  the  people  in  Salisbury 
©ailed  in  a  very  unpleasant  manner  for  the 
money  they  had  given  me  in  the  house  pur- 
chased some  years  before.  According  to 
what  was  told  me,  they  made  it  a  matter  of 
speculation.  I  was  told  that  they  agreed  to 
give  a  lawyer  one  half  of  what  he  could  get 
of  me,  as  they  knew  it  was  not  possible  to 
make  a  lawful  demand  of  a  present  made  me, 
which  was  secured  by  the  law  of  the  ^tate. 

They  appointed  a  man  of  violence  to  attend 

to  the   business,  by  the  name  of . 

It  was  said  that  he  told  the  lawyer  to  make 
short  work  of  it.  Of  course  I  was  compli- 
mented by  Mr.  Gerrish  with  a  special  writ, 
and  one  of  three  things  must  be  done  ; 
give  the  money  ;  get  bonds  for  my  appearance 
at  court,  or  go  to  prison.  I  told  the  officer 
that  I  would  go  and  live  with  him.  He  con- 
ducted with  propriety,  and  advised  me  not  to 
go  to  prison,  as  I  had  friends  who  would  be 
bound  for  my  appearance  at  court.  This 
advice  I  accepted,  and  though  I  did  not  owe 
these  people  in  Salisbury  any  thing,  yet 
having  once  received  their  property,  and  they 
wishing  their gift  back  again,  my  deter- 
mination was  to  return  it  if  possible,  because  I 
coveted  no  man's  silver,  gold,  apparel, 
house  or  kind. 

Before  the  time  for  my  appearance  at 
court,  by  some  means,  which  I  cannot  now 
tell,  I  had  two  hundred  dollars  ready  for 
them,  which  was  what  they  demanded.  One 
hundred  I  had  saved  the  winter  before,  to 


3S0  LIFE    ©F  4 

pay  what  was  justly  due  to  others.  The 
other  hundred,  I  believe  my  friends  in 
Portsmouth  collected.  Two  brethren,  Ed- 
ward  Call,  aud  John  Marble,  went  to 
Salisbury,  and  carried  the  money,  I  gave 
them  particular  orders  to  give  them  all  they 
demanded.  They  took,  if  my  memory 
serves,  one  hundred  and  forty-nine  dol- 
lars from  a  poor  man  to  gratify  their  avarice, 
or  to  feed  their  revenge.  When  the  two 
brethren  returned,  they  said,  they  should 
have  brought  back  the  money,  if  I  had  not 
directed  them  to  leave  it,  as  there  was  no 
law  which  could  have  taken  the  money  from 
me  for  what  they  had  given  a  deed  of  ;  by 
which  it  was  secured  to  me,  my  heirs,  and 
assigns  forever. 

This  was  the  most  ungenerous  and  cruel 
treatment  I  had  then  ever  received  from  any 
set  of  men  whatever.  This  was  not  the  do- 
ings of  all  who  gave  the  house  and  land. 
Before  they  took  the  money  from  me  I  was 
v  ry  poor,  and  this  distressed  me  one  hun- 
dred and  forty-nine  dollars  more,  or  about 
that  sun*.  Their  conduct  was  so  cruel  and 
unfeeling,  that  I  shall  not  mention  one  of 
their  names,  but  record  the  deed,  without  pre- 
serving then?  names  in  my  record,  which  might 
hereafter  be  brought  up  as  a  reproach  to  their 
children,  if  not  to  their  thilrfren's  children. 

Notwithstanding  much  pains  was  taken  to 
make  people  in  Portsmouth  believe  my  char- 
acter was  low  in  Salisbury,  these  two  brethren 
were  able  to  contradict  ail  theso  evil  report** 


ELTAS    SMITH.  321 

and  they  declared  that  the  greatest  difficulty 
there,  was,  that  thepeaple  could  not  persuade 
me  to  make  my  abode  with  them. 

In  June,  1803,  about  the  time  of  this  diffi- 
culty. Elder  Abner  Jones,  from  Vermont, 
came  to  visit  me,  and  was  the  first  free  man  I 
had  ever  seen.  He  had  gone  beyond  me  in 
several  parts  of  doctrine  :  particularly  as  it 
respects  the  true  light,  that  lighteth  every 
man  that  cometh  into  the  world.  Before  he 
came  to  Portsmouth,  I  had  not  learnt  that 
God  gave  light  to  all  men  ;  but  when  he  de- 
clared it,  and  shewed  that  the  scriptures  de- 
clared the  same,  my  mind  was  open  to  re- 
ceive the  declaration.  Before  he  came,  I 
considered  myself  almost  alone  in  the  world  ; 
though  the  baptists  thought  1  belonged  to 
their  faith  and  order.  I  was  with  them  in 
body,  having  never  separated  from  them  by 
any  public  declaration  ;  and  was  then  a  mem- 
ber of  what  was  cabled  the  Christian  con- 
ference. My  mind  was  out.  and  for  about 
one  year  it  was  my  determination,  as  soon  as 
things  were  ripe,  to  declare  myself  free,  and 
separate  from  the  baptist  denomination,  and 
other  sectarians  on  earth. 

Elder  Jones  took  hold  with  me  in  the 
good  work,  and  his  preaching,  praying,  ex- 
hortations, and  singing,  was  a  great  blessing 
to  many.  He  was  received  among  the  free- 
will baptists,  and  ordained  by  them  ;  though 
lie  told  them  from  the  first,  he  was  not  a 
free-will  baptist,  but  a  christian*  His  com- 
ing greatly  encouraged  me  to  go  on  in  the 


322  LIFE    OF 

cause  of  freedom.  He  attended  several  oi 
the  Christian  conferences,  but  did  not  join 
it,  till  some  time  after,  on  account  of  the 
articles  which  we  had  drawn  up ;  these  he  said 
were  needless  and  hurtful.  These  articles 
the  church  at  Portsmouth  soon  laid  aside,  and 
at  Hopkinton,N.  H.  in  the  year  1803,  the  con- 
ference agreed  they  were  useless,  and  that 
the  new-testament  was  the  only  and  all-suffi- 
cient rule  for  christians. 

In  the  course  of  this  summer,  Elder  Jones 
went  with  me  to  attend  a  meeting  at  the  house 
of  capt.  Jeremiah  Paul,  in  Kennebunk,  thirty 
miles  from  Portsmouth.  Elder  William 
Bactheldor,  of  Berwick,  attended  with  us,  and 
manifested  something  which  looked  like  a 
desire  after  liberty  ;  though  he  afterwards 
went  back,  and  became  an  hireling  at  Haver- 
hill, Mass.  where  he  remains  to  this  day. 
Our  meetings  at  that  time  were  blest  to  many 
who  heard,  believed,  and  obeyed  the  gospel. 

At  the  close  of  the  first  meeting:  in  the  af- 
ternoon,  a  respectable  mau,  about  fifty  years 
old,  came  to  me,  before  many  were  gone  out, 
and  said  he  wished  to  converse  with  me  up- 
on some  points  of  doctrine,  as  he  termed 
them.  His  request  I  readily  complied  with. 
He  stated,  that  there  were  several  doctrinal 
points  which  he  wished  to  know  if  I  held  or 
believed.  The  following  is  as  near  as  I  now 
recollect  :  "  Do  you  hold  to  original  sin  ?" 
No  sir,  said,  I  because  there  is  no  such  sin 
mentioned  in  the  bible.  "Do you  hold  to  the 
fall  of  man  ?"  No  sir,,  because  it  is  not  men- 


E^IAS    SMITH.  323 

tioned  in  the  bible ;  but  is  the  doctrine  of  the 
catechism.  u  I)o  you  hold  to  the  covenant 
of  grace  V9  No  sir,  for  there  is  no  such 
covenant  mentioned  in  the  bible.  "  Do  you 
believe  in  the  trinity  ?"  No  sir,  for  the  word 
is  nGt  in  the  bible,  nor  the  doctrine.  The 
whole  bible  declares,  "One  God,"  and  his 
person  one.  "  Do  you  believe  that  God  has 
foreordained  whatsoever  comes  to  pass  ??* 
No  sir,  for  tliere  is  but  one  thing  said  to  be 
foreordained  in  the  bible,  which  is  Jesus 
Christ ;  and  if  God  has  foreordained  what- 
soever comes  to  pass,  lie  is  worse  than  the 
devil,  who  has  more  disposition  than  power ; 
for  if  God  foreordains  whatsoever  comes  to 
pass,  he  must  be  the  cause  of  all  the  wicked- 
ness he  has  forbidden  in  the  scriptures,  and 
which  he  declares  he  will  punish  the  wicked 
for  committing.  Can  you*  sir,  prove  that  such 
doctrines  are  in  the  bible  ?  Here,  he  paused, 
and  said  but  little.  After  this  conversation, 
he  went  out  of  the  house.  A  man  at  the  door, 
asked  him  how  he  succeeded.  He  paused 
Awhile,  and  then  said  :  "I  was  never  so  per- 
plexed in  conversing  before  ;  but  I  will  tell 
you,  it  is  very  hard  to  give  up  so  much  all 
at  once."  Soon  after  this,  he  gave  up  so 
much  of  the  doctrines  of  men,  all  at  once,  or 
gradually,  and  was  determined  to  be  a  free 
man,  hearing  Christ  in  all  things. 

After  our  return  from  Kennehunk,  Elder 
Jones  preached  a  short  time  in  Portsmouth. 
While  there,  several  of  the  baptis<  brethren, 
hearing  of  the  great  revival  of  religion  in  Ports- 


324  LIFE    OF 

mouth,  came  to  visit  us.  Among  others  was  Asa 
Niles,  who  kept  a  stable  in  Boston.  For 
the  first  time,  he  delivered  an  exhortation  in 
our  meeting-house.  After  this  he  thought 
himself  called  to  preach,  and  was  ordained 
by  the  baptists. 

Several  who  came  from  Boston,  requested 
Elder  Jones  to  go  and  preach  with  them. 
He  Avent,  but  the  two  baptist  ministers  were 
not  hearty  in  receiving  him,  as  he  was  con- 
sidered a  free-wilier.  Several  who  heard 
him  in  Portsmouth  were  so  urgent  for  his 
preaching  in  the  meeting-houses,  that  the 
ministers  were  afraid  to  deny  their  request. 
His  preaching  called  the  attention  of  many  to 
the  things  which  belonged  to  their  peace,  and 
in  a  few  months,  a  glorious  reformation  took 
place,  and  many  were  converted  to  the  Lord. 
The  same  summer  I  went  to  Boston,  and 
though  there  were  some  differences  between 
ine  and  the  church  at  tv  oburn,  the  two  bap- 
tist ministers  concluded,  as  the  church  at 
Woburn  had  brought  nothing  against  me, 
they  could  with  propriety  ask  me  to  preach  in 
their  meeting-houses. 

Whenever  a  meeting  was  appointed  for 
me,  the  houses  would  be  full.  Several  times 
when  I  came,  Dr.  Stillman  would  have  a 
new  objection  to  my  preaching  in  his  pulpit. 
These  objections  I  removed  for  some  time, 
till  -at  last  he  set  up  his  will  and  determined 
I  should  preach  there  no  more  ;  as  I  did  not 
believe  in  Calvinism. 


ELIAS    SMITH.  335 

CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

At  the  time  Elder  Jones  went  to  Bos- 
ton, nay  mind  was  much  exercised  upon  the 
conduct  of  the  baptists  in  different  parts  of 
the  country,  and  especially  the  baptist  minis- 
ters in  Boston.  The  eighteenth  of  July, 
1803,  while  Eider  Jones  was  there,  I  wras 
meditating  upon  what  is  said  in  1  Pet.  iv.  17, 
<•'  For  the  times  is  come  that  judgment  must 
legin  at  the  house  of  God."  My  conclusion 
was,  that  judgment  meant  punishment  in- 
flicted on  professors  of  religion  for  leaving  their 
first  love,  and  conforming  to  the  world  in 
their  manner  of  worship  and  appearance. 
These  thoughts  I  communicated  in  a  letter  to 
a  brother  in  Boston,  dated  Portsmouth,  July 
18,  1803.  In  the  letter  it  was  stated,  that 
sometimes  the  ministers  of  Christ  would  so 
conform  to  the  world,  as  to  wear  anti-christian 
titles,  surplices,  bands  ;  use  notes,  be  sup- 
ported by  law,  and  paid  for  praying.  After 
mentioning  this,  was  the  following  :  "I  leave 
it  with  you  to  judge,  whether  this  is  not  in  a 
great  measure,  the  case  with  the  baptist 
churches  and  ministers  in  Massachusetts,  and 
particularly  in  Boston."  This,  and  some 
other  things,  which  exactly  applied  to  the 
baptist  ministers  in  Boston,  greatly  disturbed 
Mr.  Baldwin,  when  he  saw  and  read  my  let- 
ter, as  he  had  occasion  to  think  himself 
not  only  described,  but  meant  in  the  letter. 

My  letter  was  written  in   sincerity,  and 
uot  through  ill  will  to  any.     Though  it  wti 

Dd  * 


323  LIFE    OF 

not  directed  to  Mr.  Baldwin,  yet  he  wrote  an 
answer  to  it,  dated  Boston,  Aug.  2, 1803.  He 
ridiculed  me,  and  my  letter.  I  had  mentioned 
Ged's  four  sore  judgments,  recorded  in 
Ezekiel ;  sword. famine,  pestilence  and  icild 
beasts,  without  any  design  of  applying  thein 
to  any,  to  shew  the  meaning  of  the  word 
judgment.  When  he  wrote  upon  that  he 
said,  u  As  to  the  wild  beasts,  what  you  mean 
by  them,  I  must  leave  for  you  to  explain,  for 
I  am  a  little  at  a  loss  from  your  explanation. 
I  conclude  upon  the  whole,  they  don't  wear 
surplices."  My  answer  to  him  was  this,  "  I 
have  no  doubt  but  some,  whom  Paul  calls  evil 
beasts  have  worn  surplices,  but  I  am  far 
from  thinking  you  such  a  one.  I  believe  you 
to  be  a  child  of  God,  and  a  minister  whom 
Jesus  Christ  has  called  and  owned,  but  I  be- 
lieve you  are  gone  into  Babylon,  and  that 
they  have  altered  your  name,  as  Nebuchad- 
nezzar did  Daniel's,  calling  himBelteshaz- 
zar."  The  clergyman's  looking-glass  dis- 
pleased him ;  and  to  render  me,  and  the  book 
contemptible,  he  wrote  the  following  in  his 
letter,  "  Were  I  skilled  in  making  looking- 
glasses,  I  would  try  to  give  a  glimpse  of 
yourself  in  this  passage."  He  then  proceeded 
to  give  me  a  glimpse  in  the  following  words  : 
••  Is  not  this  the  language  held  up  in  the  pre- 
ceding paragraph  ?  O  poor  Boston,  how  I 
pity  thee  :  scorched  under  the  divine  judg- 
ments, and  yet  thou  knowest  it  not !  Not  a 
drop  of  spiritual  rain  falls  on  thee,  I  mean, 
particularly   the  baptist  churches,  and  the 


ELIAS    SMITH.  327 

cause  is,  their  ministers  are  conformed  to  the 
world  !  All  this  will  be  proved  to  demon- 
stration, if  yon  will  look  to  Portsmouth,  and 
see  how  it  rains  where  I  preach,  who  am,  in 
all  respects,  free  from  conformity  to  the 
World." 

All  this  ridicule  and  contempt  I  bore  with 
patience,  knowing  no  such  thing  had  ever 
entered  my  mind,  when  the  letter  was  written. 

In  the  month  of  September,  1803,  about 
two  months  after  my  letter  was  written,  the 
Warren  association  was  held  at  Randolph, 
near  Boston.  This  I  attended,  though  con- 
vinced that  the  association  of  churches  was 
anti-christian.  The  year  before,  the  associa- 
tion had  decided  :  "  That  God  had  foreor- 
dained whatsoever  comes  to  pass,  and  publish- 
edthe  same  in  their  minutes. 

This  decision  made  no  small  stir ;  and 
some  of  the  churches  wrote  to  the  association, 
desiring  an  explanation  of  their  decision. 
The  association  took  up  the  subject,  and  ap- 
pointed a  committee  to  draw  up  something  to 
satisfy  the  churches.  Elders  John  Peak, 
William  Batcheldor,  and  some  others,  were 
chosen  to  write.  When  they  retired,  they 
invited  me  to  go  with  them  to  their  chamber. 
One  of  the  committee  opened  the  case,  and 
each  one  spoke  his  mind  upon  the  subject. 
When  all  had  gone  through,  Mr.  Peak 
wished  me  to  give  my  mind  upon  the  subject 
which  I  did,  by  relating  the  following 
circumstance  : 


328  LIFE    OF 

*<  A  nobleman  in  England  once  built  a 
palace,  and  when  it  was  done,  one  large 
stone  was  left  near  the  corner  ef  the  building. 
There  it  remained  for  some  time,  to  the  in- 
jury of  those  who  came  around  the  corner  of 
his  palace.  Some  of  his  friends  complained 
of  the  stone,  which  they  had  fallen  over.  He, 
to  prevent  this  difficulty,  ordered  a  post  set 
by  the  side  of  it.  This  did  not  prevent  peo- 
ple from  falling  on  it  in  the  night.  He 
then  hung  a  lamp  by  it  at  night,  but  some 
while  looking  at  the  lamp,  would  fall  over 
the  stone.  All  this  increased  the  complaints 
of  his  friends.  At  last  one  man  told  him  the 
best  thing  would  be  to  remove  the  lamp  and 
post,  and  then  carry  away  the  stone,  which 
would  prevent  any  difficulty  from  the  stone. 
This  he  did,  and  no  more  injury  was  done 
by  the  stone." 

The  application  wras  easy  ;  remove  the 
statement,  "  That  God  has  foreordained 
whatsoever  comes  to  pass,"  and  here  the  dis- 
pute will  end.  The  assembly  of  divines 
left  the  stone.  Last  year  the  association  set 
up  the  post  ;  this  year  you  are  to  hang  the 
lamp  ;  but  all  this  will  not  prevent  people 
from  stumbling  at  that  stumbling  stone. 
They  were  not  at  all  pleased  with  my  simili- 
tude, and  here  I  left  them  to  fix  up  their 
lamp. 

In  the  evening  after  the  association,  I  at- 
tended a  meeting  in  Mr.  Baldwin's  meeting- 
house, and  spake  upon  Pslam  xlv.  %  "  Thin* 


ILIAS    SMITH.  32!) 

mrrotcs  are  eharj)  in  the  heart  of  the  kings 
enemies,  whereby  the  people  fall  under  thee" 

The  house  was  very  full  of  people,  and  the 
Lord  stood  by  me,  and  gave  testimony  to  the 
word  of  his  grace.  More  than  fifty  were  af- 
terwards converted  to  God,  who  first  felt  the 
king^s  arrows  sharp  in  their  hearts  that 
evening. 

In  November,  1803,  I  preached  for  the 
first  time  in  Bradford,  Mass.  at  the  house  of 
John  Marble,  who  had  been  at  Portsmouth, 
and  was  afterwards  baptised,  and  received  a 
member  there.  The  clergyman  of  the  town, 
Mr.  Allen,  attended,  but  took  no  part  with 
me,  until  supper  time.  Several  people  at- 
tended the  meeting  from  Haverhill,  about 
two  miles  distance.  Among  others,  was 
Silas  Pluraer,  and  his  son  Frederick.  At 
this  meeting,  his  attention  was  arrested  ;  lie 
was  afterwards  converted,  baptised,  and  be- 
came a  preacher  of  the  everlasting  gospel. 
This  meeting  was  blest  to  many  ;  and  not 
long  after,  a  glorious  reformation  took  place 
there,  and  in  Haverhill,  on  the  other  side 
of  the  Merrimack  river. 

Not  far  from  this  time,  one  man  in  Ports- 
mouth, who  had  been  friendly  to  me,  and 
zealous  for  my  coming  there,  became  dis- 
pleased, as  things  did  not  turn  as  he  had  calcu- 
lated. One  day  he  sent  a  line,  requesting  mt 
to  meet  him  at  his  house  at  such  an  hour. 
We  met  accordingly  ;  he  took  me  into  the 
third  loft,  and  told  me  to  leave  the  town.  I 
told  him  my  belief  was  that  the  Lord  ha* 
Del  3 


338  LIFE    «F 

called  me  to  preach  the  gospel  in  Portsmouth  ; 
that  my  work  was  not  done  ;  and  that  I 
should  not  go  for  him,  nor  all  the  devils  in 
hell,  nor  opposers  on  earth.  He  stated  that 
he  thought  as  he  was  the  principal  means  of 
my  comiug,  he  had  a  right  to  send  me  away. 
As  he  was  a  man  given  to  change,  I  left  him, 
and  never  meddled  much  with  him  after- 
wards. 

At  this  time,  my  situation  was  critical  in- 
deed, to  all  human  appearance.  My  enemies 
in  Portsmouth,  were  numerous  and  violent ; 
my  friends  were  few,  and  the  greater  part 
young  people.  In  Boston  the  baptists  were 
displeased  at  my  writings,  and  evil  reports 
were  in  general  circulation.  My  encourage- 
ment to  persevere,  was  founded  on  the 
goodness  of  the  cause,  in  which  I  had  en- 
gaged. I  was  left  almost  alone  in  Ports- 
mouth, as  Elder  Jones  was  wholly  employed 
in  preaching  at  Boston,  though  the  ministers 
did  not  like  his  preaching. 

The  winter  following  the  association  at 
Randolph,  was  the  most  terrible  time  I  had 
ever  known,  as  it  respected  opposition  from 
the  baptist  ministers  in  Boston,  and  others  in- 
fluenced by  them.  As  this  opposition  laid  a 
foundation  for  my  final  separation  from  the 
baptists,  I  here  give  the  account  from  my 
journal  of  February,  1804,  which  was  writ- 
ten down  the  days  on  which  the  things  were 
done,  recorded  there. 

Monday  Feb.  2,  1801,  set  out  from  Ports- 
mouth for  Bosotn.      Tarried  with  Deacon 


ELIAS    SMITH.  331 

Smiley,  of  Haverhill.  Tuesday  3d,  rode  to 
Woburn  ;  Elder  Pottle  preached,  and  bap- 
tised eight  persons.  I  spake  in  the  evening 
from  Gen.  xlv.  %  "I  am  Joseph  your  brother" 
Wednesday,  Feb.  4,  rode  to  Boston  ;  heard 
a  clergyman  preach  in  Mr.  Baldwin's  meet- 
ing-house. Thursday,  Feb.  5,  preached  in  the 
evening  at  Mr.  Baldwin's  meeting-house, 
from  Psalm  ex.  3,  "  Thy  people  shall  be 
icilling  in  the  day  of  thy  p&wev"  Took  up 
three  particulars  :  1.  The  day  of  Christ's 
power.  2.  His  people.  3.  How  they  are 
willing.  The  discourse  was  not  wholly 
pleasing  to  the  calvinists,  who  believe  Christ'* 
enemies  are  his  people.  Mr.  Baldwin  pray- 
ed that  God  would  bless  the  truth  delivered, 
but  I  learnt  afterwards  that  he  did  not  be- 
lieve all  was  truth  he  heard  delivered. 

Friday,  Feb.  6.  Preached  in  the  vestry, 
from  Prov.  viii.  20,  21.  Mr.  Baldwin  at- 
tended, and  made  the  concluding  prayer. 
Saturday  evening,  preached  in  the  vestry, 
from  Rev.  i.  6,  6. 

Sunday  morning,  Feb.  8.  Preached  at  the 
vestry,  at  sun-rise,  from  2  Sam.  xxiii.  4. 
"JLnd  he  shall  be  as  the  light  of  the  morning." 
After  breakfast,  rode  to  Maiden,  four  miles^ 
preached  twice  ;  returned  to  Boston,  and 
preached  the  fourth  time  in  Mr.  Baldwin's 
meeting-house,  from  John  xvi.  8,  "And 
when  he  is  come,  he  shall  reprove  the  world 
.of  sin,  of  righteousness,  and  of  judgment " 
It  was  thought  that  not  far  from  three  thous- 
and people  attended.     Some,  who  believe*! 


33S  LIFE   OF 

in  the  light  t>f  nature,  and  a  good  conscienct 
in  bad  inen,  were  not  a  little  disturbedxto  see 
their  tradition  upset  by  the  scriptures  of 
truth. 

Monday,  Feb.  9.  Preached  in  the  even- 
ing at  the  vestry.  Tuesday,  Feb.  10,  preach- 
ed  in  the  evening  at  the  same  place.  Wed- 
nesday, Feb.  11.  After  Deacon  Wild  had 
laken  much  pains  to  have  me  preach  in 
Dr.  Stillman's  meeting-house,  he  consented 
and  I  went  to  see  him.  He  said,  "  I  hope 
you  w  ill  not  preach  any  thing  to  make  a  di- 
vision." My  reply  was,  the  only  knowing 
division  I  shall  make,  will  be  between  truth 
and  error  ;  and  if  there  is  any  division  on 
my  account,  my  opposers  will  make  it  ; 
but  I  will  not  make  any.  I  told  him  that 
some  of  his  church  were  so  opposed  to  me, 
that  they  would  not  give  me  their  hand.  I 
read  him  twelve  pages  of  a  discourse  written 
upon  being  born  again  ;  this  he  approved  of, 
and  said  he  believed  it  would  do  good. 

Thursday,  Feb.  12.  This  day,  I  went  ta 
Roxbury,  about  three  miles  from  Boston,  to 
preach  in  the  evening.  As  soon  as  it  was 
dark,  many  people  came  together ;  and  when 
the  meeting  began,  the  lewd  fellows  began  to 
disturb.  I  spake  upon  Acts  xx.  9%  "  Bid 
none  of  these  things  move  meP  They  threw 
half  coppers  at  me  ;  talked,  groaned,  pray- 
ed, and  made  much  disturbance.  After  go- 
ing through,  I  rode  into  Boston,  with  Mr. 
Edward  Call,  of  Portsmouth,  who  conducted 
with  wisdom  and  fortitude  through  the  wkole. 


ELIAS    SMITH.  333 

The  mob  followed  us  to  the  court-bouse,  and 
being  unable  to  overtake  us,  returned,  and  we 
arrived  safe,  and  thankful  that  we  escaped 
out  of  their  hands. 

Friday,  Feb.  13.    Preached  in  the  vestry. 

Jaturday.  1%  preached  in  the  vestry,  from 
Thes.  ii.  4,  5,  6.  Spake  upon  the  nature 
of  the  gospel  ;  the  extent  of  the  proclama- 
tion, which  was  to  every  creature  ;  the  sin- 
ners condemnation  in  disobeying  the  gospel ; 
that  evening,  I  told  the  people,  that  none 
were  the  elect,  but  saints.  This  had  begun 
$l  fire  before,  which  about  this  time  appeared 
first  among  the  ministers,  and  then  among 
those  who  did  not  se^for  themselves. 

Sunday,  Feb.  15.  Preached  in  the  vestry, 
at  sun-rise  ;  went  to  Maiden,  and  heard  El- 
der Jones  preach,  from  Rev.  v.  4.  At  noon 
Elder  Pottle  baptised  four.  I  spake  in  the 
afternoon,  from  1  John  ii.  28.  This  day  Mr. 
Baldwin,  in  the  forenoon,  delivered  a  dis- 
course upon  Kom.  viii.  28.  in  which  he  de- 
scribed calvinistic  election. 

In  the  evening  I  preached  at  Henry  "Wen- 
dalPs  house,  near  Dr.  Stillman's  meeting- 
house. This  was  the  first  separate  meeting 
we  ever  had  in  Boston,  and  was  a  little  like 
the  declaration  of  independence  once  made 
by  the  Americans.  This  greatly  enraged  the 
meeting-house  people  ;  as  several  of  their 
church  members  attended  the  meeting. 

Monday,  Feb.  16.  This  day  there  was 
no  small  stir  about  the  meeting  and  the  new 
doctriue.     The  cry  in  Boston  was,  great  is 


S34f  LIFE    0£ 

Calvinism  of  Boston  !  In  the>kfternoon, 
Deacon  Wild,  a  man  of  candor,  and  who  bad 
not  consented  with  the  council,  came  and  ask- 
ed me  to  preach  my  belief  in  full  that  even- 
ing, upon  the  gospel,  decrees,  election,  &c. 
I  went  to  the  vestry  that  evening,  to  preac 
according  to  request.  Mr.  Baldwin  and  Mr 
Bowles,  who  preached  with  the  Dr.  attended, 
that  they  inight  judge  of  my  orthodoxy,  or  hete- 
rodoxy. My  text  was  this  :  .Acts  xvii.  19,  20. 
"  And  they  took  him  and  brought  him  to 
Areopagus,  saying,  may  we  know  what  this 
new  doctrine  thou  speakest  is  ?  For  thou^ 
bringest  certain  strangg^iings  to  our  ears,  we 
would  know    therefore   what    these   things 


3° 


I  endeavored  to  prove  every  particular 
from  plain  declarations  recorded  in  the  bible. 
After  I  had  done,  Mr.  Baldwin  rose  in  oppo- 
sition to  what  I  said.  He  acknowledged  the 
sinner's  condemnation  turned  where  I  had 
said  it  did.  He  told  the  people  a  man  might 
throw  a  number  of  scriptures  together,  and 
make  out  any  thing  he  pleased,  and,  said  he, 
"this  is  the  way  we  make  out  our  different 
systems."  This  last  sentence  was  altogether 
against  himself.  One  of  Dr.  Stillman's  church 
attempted  to  stop  him  from  opposing  what  he 
believed  was  the  truth  ;  but  he  went  through, 
and  I  remained  in  silence,  knowing  lie  could 
not  overthrow  what  had  been  delivered,  un- 
less he  could  overthrow  the  truth  contained 
in  the  scriptures.  After  this,  Deacon  Wild 
asked  each  of  them  to  pray  ;  but  they  wcr* 


ELIAS    SMITH,  333 

both  so  far  from  the  spirit  of  prayer,  that 
they  refused.  Many  thought  Mr.  Baldwin 
was  angry,  and  I  believe  he  thought  they 
had  occasion  to  think  so. 

Tuesday  evening,  Feb.  17.  Preached  at 
Henry  WendalPs.  Wednesday  18,  heard 
Mr.  Baldwin  preach  from  Gal.  v.  1.  He  told 
the  people  their  salvation  depended  on  the 
immutable  purpose  of  God  ;  a-nd  before  he 
closed,  in  his  exhortation  said,  "  Sinner  will 
y  m  cut  off  the  only  limb  on  which  your  sal- 
vation depends  ?-'? 

After  he  had  done  speaking,  Dr.  Stillman 
arose,  and  with  an^pir  of  importance,  first 
told  the  people  how  nappy  ho  was  in  being 
so  united  with  his  brother  Baldwin  ;  though 
they  had  been  so  divided  in  sentiment,  that 
they  once  broke  up  a  meeting.  Next  he  un- 
dertook to  extol  calvinism.  He  told  the  peo- 
ple the  land  on  which  the  meeting-house 
stood,  was  to  remain  theirs,  so  long  as  there 
were  three  calvinists  ;  though  there  was  no 
such  thing  mentioned  in  the  deed,  which  was 
afterwards  proved  to  his  face.  He  har- 
rangued  upon  sovereign  grace  -  and  talked 
loudly  of  arrainian  doctrine  ;  and  with 
a  loud  voice,  said,  it  was  free-will  doctrine  ! 

This  day,  Ebenezer  L.  Boyd  met  me  and 
Elder  Jones  in  Union- street,  and  witli  an  air 
of  self-importance,  said,  "  1  forbid  you  per- 
sonally, from  going  into  the  vestry  to  preach, 
and  wish  you  to  keep  at  home  ;"  with  many 
other  things  equally  unchristian. 


336  LIFE    OF 

After  this  terrible  uproar,  I  tarried  iu 
Boston  several  days,  on  account  of  a  monthly 
church  meeting  which  Dr.  Stiliman's  church 
were  to  hold  on  Monday  evening,  21st.  One 
man,  a  member  of  that  church,  had  joined 
with  the  church  in  Portsmouth;  but  walking 
disorderly,  the  church  called  him  to  an  ac- 
count ;  he  theia  withdrew,  and  said  he  was  a 
member  of  the  church  iu  Boston.  I  told  the 
Doctor  how  he  conducted  ;  and  he  wished 
me  to  desire  the  church  to  write  to  him  how 
the  man  L  baved.  The  church  sent  a  state- 
ment ;  and  that  evening  the  man  was  present. 
The  man's  testimony  against  me  was  receiv- 
ed, and  the  testimony  of  about  an  hundred 
and  thirty  members  against  the  man  was  re- 
jected. He  was  considered  a  man  of  truth, 
and  I  and  my  brethren  false  witnesses,  until 
sometime  after  the  same  man  was  obliged  in 
the  public  paper,  to  own  he  had  spoken  false- 
ly in  another  matter,  and  signed  his  name  to 
the  same. 

From  that  evening,  the  glory  departed  from 
the  first  baptist  church  in  Boston,  and  has 
never  returned.  For  many  years  after,  it 
was  rare  that  they  ever  had  a  peaceable 
church  meeting,  and  they  turned  each  other 
out  of  the  church,  nor  did  they  ever  after 
prosper  as  before. 

Sunday  29th.  I  preached  in  the  baptist 
meeting-house  in  Haverhill,  for  the  last  time. 
On  the;  way  from  Boston  there,  I  told  the 
stage  driver,  that  Dr.  Smith  took  notes  of 
people  for  preaching,  when  they  did  not  pay 


ELIAS    SMITH.  337 

him.     This  he  heard  of,  and  was  so  off 
that   he  would   never  let   m3   pre 

in.  And  though  before  that  the  hoi 
would  be  full  when  1  preached,  afterwards, 
awhile,  Silas  Plainer  was  the  only  man 
1  knew  of  there  to  receive  me  into  his  house. 
Tuesday  after,  I  returned  home,  and  wrote 
in  my  journal  the  following  :  "This  is  the 
most  singular  journey  I  ever  performed  :  but 
amidst  all  my  persecution,  I  have  found  that 
the  work  of  righteousness  is  peace,  and  the 
effect  of  righteousness,  quietness,  and  assur- 
ance forever.  Though  many  hard  and  false 
things  are  said  of  me  ;  in  the  presence  of 
God  I  can  say,  I  see  no  other  way  to  preach 
and  act,  without  doing  wrong  ;  and  if  any 
person  on  earth  will  prove  that  my  preaching 
or  conduct  is  contrary  to  the  new-testament, 
I  am  willing  to  turn  :  but  until  I  am  con  vine- 
ed  of  being  wrong,  I  am  determined  through 
Christ  strengthening  me,  to  persevere,  come 
life  or  death.     Allien." 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 

The  first  week  in  March,  1804,1  attended  the 
christian  conference  in  Epping,  N.  H.  .  As 
there  were  many  evil  reports  in  circulation 
respecting  me,  the  conference  thought  it  their 
duty  to  contradict  them,  and  give  me  a  writ- 
ing, signed  by  Br.  Shepard,  in  behalf  of 
the  conference  ;  certifying  that  my  character 
stood  fair;  to  their  certain  knowledge.     The 

Ee 


£88  LIFE    OF 

following  is  a  copy  of  the  writing,  which  was 
afterwards  published  in   the  Newhampshirc 

Gazette  : 

Recommendation  given  by   Ih\  Shejictrd,  of 

Brentwood,    to  Elias     Smith,  of  Ports- 

mouth,  March  8,  1804. 

This  is  to  certify  all  christian  people  whom 

it    may  concern,  .that   whereas   Elder  Elias 

h,  preacher  of  the  gospel,  has  had  many 

scandalous  stories,   and    evil  reports  spread 

abroad  respecting    his    personal    character  i 

The  members  of  a  christian  conference,  held 

at  Epping,    March  8,  1804,  consisting  of  a 

number  of  Elders  and  brethren,  think  it  our 

#uty  for  the  honor   of  the    general    cause  of 

id  for  the  support  of  the  said  Elias 

h's  christian  character,  to  inform  all  per* 

where  be  may  be  called   to  preach,  that 

we  are  satisfied  from  our  personal  knowledge 

and    gOGd  information,   that  said   scandalous 

reports  are  not  true ;  but  we  view  him  a  man 

of  a  godly  life  and  conversation, 

Samuel  Shepard,  in  behalf  of  the  confer- 
en  j  Epping,  March  8,  1804. 

In  the  Spring  of  1804,  a  church  was  gath* 
in  Boston,  according  to  the  new-iesta- 
inerti,  composed  of  members  who  had  form- 
erlybelonged  to  the  baptist  churches,  and 
these  converts  w  ho  had  not  joined  the  baptist 
churches.  This  was  the  second  church  in 
New-England,  called  christians.  This  year 
Elder  Jones  went  to  Nantasket,  and  preach- 
ed,    A  goodly  number  wore  converted,  and 


ELI  AS    SMITH. 

another  church  was  gathered  there  the  saifte 
ir,  and  another  in  Haverhill  and  Bradford. 
This  year  the  opposition  to  me  ran  so  high, 
on  account  of  what  the  two  baptist  ministers 
in  Boston  said  against  me.,  that  I  wrote  J}\\ 
Stillman  a  letter,  dated  Boston,  May  S,  1804, 
stating  the  cruel  and  unjust  manner  he  had 
conducted  towards  me.  This  highly  offend- 
ed him,  as  no  one  had  ever  brought  such  a 
complaint  against  him  before.  This  was  c 
terwards  printed,  as  he  refused  to  make  th 
satisfaction  which  I  thought  was  right. 

Through  all  these  things,  1  was  consider- 
ed a  baptist,  and  a  member  of  the  Woburn 
church  ;  and  though  the  church  complained 
of  me,  yet  they  had  never  proved  me  guilty 
of  unrighteousness.  As  I  was  frequently  ia 
Boston,  people  from  different  parts  of  the 
country  heard  me  there,  and  often  requested 
me  to  preach  where  they  dwelt.  That  sum- 
mer, a  man  by  the  name  of  Job  Peircc,  from 
Freetown,  forty-five  miles  from  Boston,  ai- 
tended  meeting,  and  afterwards  wrote  request- 
ing me  to  visit  him  and  preach  in  that  region. 
Knowing  my  circumstances,  he  wrote  for  me 
to  come  in  the  stasje  to  Taunton  at  his  ex- 
pence,  and  he  would  meet  me  there.  I  ap- 
nted  to  meet  him  on  the  l6ih  of  July, 
180*  ;  and  lie  on  that  day  sent  his  horse  and 
can  and  that  evening  I  preached  in  the 

meeting-house  at  the  place  called  Assonnett. 
A  considerable  number  of  people  attended. 
In  that  journey,  I  preached  in  Middleborough, 
Freetown,  and  other   places   near      He  ac- 


MO  life  or 

companied  me  through  the  whole,  and  after- 
wards conveyed  me  to  Taunton,  and  furnished 
me  with  money  to  go  on  to  Portsmouth  in 
the  stage. 

That  summer,  the  baptists  seemed  deter- 
mined it  possible,  to  crush  me,  or  prevent  my 
preaching  at  all.  The  latter  part  of  August, 
the  church  at  Woburn  endeavored  to  brii 
certain  charges  against  me,  which  they  said 
in  their  letter  to  me  would  not  admit  of  po- 
sitive proof.  From  all  I  could  gather,  Mr. 
Baldwin  wrote  the  pretended  indictment. 
This  he  never  denied.  One  of  the  deacons 
said  to  me,  "  I  never  saw  him  write  it,  asd 
I  shall  not  say  any  more."  They  directed 
me  to  meet  the  church  the  10th  day  of  Sep- 
tember, 1801,  and  closed  with  the  following 
words  :  "  Should  von  either  neslect  or  refuse 
to  come,  we  shall  feel  ourselves  called  upon  to 
proceed  against  you  as  a  disorderly  w  alkeiv' 
order  of  the  church,  Joseph  W.  Beers, 
clerk.5* 

This  letter  I  received,  Sept.   1,  1804,  and 

.eluded  the   time  had  come  for  me    to  de- 
clare myself,  not  of  that  order  of  people  :  but 

\  torn  all  sectarians  on  earth.     The  con- 
duct pf  Martin  Luther,  taught  me  tra- 

a.   Pope  Leo  X.  told  him.  if  he  did  not  re- 
nounce his  errors,  and  return  to  the  church 
by  such  a  day,  he  should  be  excommuaic 
ed.     The  day  before  this,  Luther  erect- 
scaffold  in  Rome,  and  in  presence  of  the 
ands  declared,    that  he   then  publicly  with- 
drew from  the  church  of  Rome,  and  was  no 


ELIAS    SMITH.  311 

longer  a  member  of  that  community.  Thk 
prevented  his  ever  being  excommunicated. 
My  conclusion  was  to  withdraw,  this  I  told 
them  by  a  letter  in  which  I  stated  my  reasons 
for  withdrawing?  in  the  following  words  : 

"  I  wish  you  to  understand?  that  I  do  not 
consider  myself  a  member  with  you?  nor  have 
I  for  about  two  years.  As  I  was  voluntary 
in  joining  with  you?  having  fellowship  writh 
you?  so  I  let  you  know  by  this?  that  I  am  as 
voluntary  in  withdrawing  from  you  for  the 
want  of  fellowship.  My  reasons  for  with- 
drawing from  you?  are  these  :  1.  The  un- 
christian treatment  I  have  received  from  sev- 
eral of  your  members.  2.  The  unchristian 
treatment  I  have  received  from  the  church. 
3.  Because  I  do  not  believe  the  doctrines 
contained  in  your  articles?  or  confession  of 
faith.  4.  Because  I  do  not  believe  the  name 
yon  are  called  by  is  scriptural ;  nor  your 
holding  to  the  association  of  churches?  which 
is  an  anti-christian  combination. 

These  are  the  principal  reasons  for  my 
Withdrawing  from  you.  I  wish  you  not  to 
give  yourselves  any  further  trouble  concern- 
ing your  dealing  with  me?  ior  I  am  not  a 
member  with  you.  From  henceforth  let  no 
man  trouble  me  j  for  I  am  determined  through 
the  Lord's  help?  to  oppose  every  thing  which 
I  believe  is  wrong?  and  to  contend  for  what  I 
believe  is  right.  If  yaa  wish  to  know  what 
denomination  I  belong  to?  I  tell  you?  as  a 
professor  of  religion?  I  am  a  christian  ;  as  a 
pveachcr?  a  minister  of  Christ  ?  calling  n& 


342  LIFE    OF 

man  father  or  master  ;  holding  as  abomina- 
ble in  the  sight  of  God,  every  thing  highly 
esteemed  among  men  :  such  as  Hulvinisi 
arwdnianism,  freewiilism,  universaiism,  rev- 
trend,  parsons,  chaplains,  doctors  of  divini- 
ty, clergy,  bands,  surplices,  notes,  creeds, 
covenants,  platforms,  with  the  spirit  of  slan- 
der, which  those  who  hold  to  these  things, 
are  too  often  in  possession  of." 

After  writing  the  letter,  I  told  some  of  my 
friends,  it  was  my  determination  never  to 
join  another  sectarian  church  again  ;  this  de- 
termination still  remains  with  me.  There 
has  not  been  a  moment  since,  when  I  wished 
myself  back  to  that  place  from  whence 
I  came  out.  And  did  others  know  the  ad- 
vantages of  being  free  from  the  command- 
ments  and  doctrines  of  men,  thousands  would 
by  willing,  be  free,  and  enjoy  the  glorious  liber- 
ty of  the  children  of  God.  I  never  wished 
to  be  at  liberty  to  do  wrong,  but  to  do  right. 

The  day  appointed  by  the  Woburn  church 
for  me  to  meet  them,  a  part  of  the  members 
voted  to  withdraw  the  hand  of  fellowship 
from  me,  because  I  had  withdrawn  from  them 
first,  and  for  no  other  cause,  as  their  commit- 
tee afterwards  acknowledged  before  three 
witnesses.  That  month,  the  association  met 
in  Boston,  and  there  the  association  w  ere  in- 
formed by  the  Woburn  letter,  that  they  had 
withdrawn  the  hand  of  fellowship  from  me, 
but  never  gave  the  reason  ;  this  they  were 
ashamed  to  do.  When  the  minutes  were 
printed;   the  editor,  Mr.  Baldwin,   if  I  h 


ELIAS    SMITH.  3£r3 

i 

rightly  informed,  had  the  following  inserted 
in  page  4.  "The  following  note  was  com- 
municated to  the  association  in  the  letter  from 
Wohurn."  "  This  day.  Sept.  40,  1801. 
voted,  to  withdraw  the  hand  of  fellowship 
from  Klias  Smith." 

As  they  gave    no  reason  why   they  with- 
drew the  hand  from    me,   I  thought  it  a  duty 
to  give  the  public   the  reasons  in  a  pamphlet 
that  year.     The  reasons  were  seven  un&etip- 
taral  things  they  held  which  I  denied. 

1.  Their  name  baptists,  which  is  unscrip- 
tural.  One  man  was  called  a  baptist,  but 
no  churches. 

%.  Articles,  which  are  an  addition  to  the 
perfect  law  of  liberty;  these  they  held  and  I 
disowned  them. 

3.  Association  of  churches,  which  is  con- 
trary to  the  new-testament,  and  anti-christian. 

4.  Holding  to  the  necessity  of  a  college 
education  to  be  ministers  of  the  gospel.  This 
is  contrary  to  the  new-testament. 

5.  The  baptists  held  to  missionary  socie- 
ties, which  is  nothing  more  or  less  than  the 
old  Jesuit's  plan,  invented  first  by  a  monk. 

6.  The  baptists  hold  to  councils  to  ordain 
ministers,  and  settle  disputes.  These  are  un- 
scriptural. 

7-  They  hold  to  installing,  or  re-installing 
ministers,  a  practice  not  once  intimated  in 
any  part  of  the  bible. 

Tiiese  are  the  reasons  I  gave  the  public, 
why  they  withdrew  the  hand  of  fellowship 
from  mc,  and  these  they  have  acl    owledged 


344  LIFE    OF 

were  the  reasons,  by  their  long  silence  of 
about  twelve  years. 

About  the  time  my  seven  reasons  for  leav- 
ing the  baptists  came  out,  Dr.  Shepard  had 
appointed  to  ordain  Eliphalet  Merrill  of 
North  wood.  They  sent  for  me  and  others 
to  attend  and  assist  in  ordaining  him,  as  Dr. 
Shepard  bad  not  heard  of  my  withdrawing 
from  the  baptists.  The  Doctor,  on  the  way 
from  Brentwood  to  Northwood,  saw  the 
book,  and  was  greatly  agitated  to  find  a  man 
had  told  the  world  that  the  baptists,  were  uu- 
scriptural  in  seven  things  i  He  came  on  to 
Northwood,  and  appeared  almost  distracted* 
He  put  up  at  Increase  Batcheldor's  with  me, 
the  night  before  the  ordination.  He  talked 
severely  to  me,  and  said  I  had  thrown  every 
thing  away,  and  was  drowned  in  the  ocean 
of  Christianity  ;  and  that  according  to  my  plan, 
the  Pope  was  as  good  a  christian  as  any  body  ; 
and  that  I  had  turned  against  my  brethren^ 
who  had  looked  upon  me  as  a  poor  unfor- 
tunate brother,  and  had  tried  to  help  me  out 
©f  difficulty. 

He  also  stated  that  when  I  came  from 
Salisbury  to  Epping,  in  the  year  1802,  he 
expected  I  should  be  a  colleague,  and  be  un- 
der him,  and  that  now  he  knew  not  what  to 
do  concerning  the  ordination.  All  this  I 
bore  in  silence,  meaning  it  should  be  the 
last.  The  next  morning,  the  Doctor,  and 
those  under  him,  contrived  a  plan  to  turn 
me  out  of  the  council,  without  having  it 
known  to  xnc,  or  a»y  but  the  caucus*    They 


ELIAS    SMITH,  gl5 

field  a  private  council  in  the  barn,  before 
the  public  council  Mas  appointed,  and  there 
agreed  to  shut  out  all  the  ministers  they 
lit  for,  that  they  might  shut  me  out. 
In  the  public  council,  according  to  what  was 
agreed  on  in  the  barn,  as  I  was  told,  they 
appointed  for  me  to  pray  first  ;  Elder  John 
Crocket  to  preach  after  the  prayer  ;  and  my 
brother,  Uriah  Smith,  to  pray  after  the  ser- 
mon. The  ordaining  prayer  to  be  made  by 
Dr.  Shepard,  while  he  and  his  deacons  laid 
on  their  hands.  The  Doctor  was  also  to  give 
the  charge  and  right  hand  of  fellowship. 

All  this  being  agreed  on,  Ave  went  to  the 
meeting-house  ;  and  it  is  easy  to  judge  how 
awkward  we  all  appeared  in  the  pulpit  ; 
having  been  requested  to  assist  in  ordaining 
an  Elder,  and  when  there,  looking  to  see 
the  Doctor  performing,  as  though  we  wero 
learning  how  to  act  at  another  time.  Th& 
people  stared  and  wondered  !  But  no  one 
durst   ask   the  meaning  of  such   unheard  of 

A  clergyman    of  modern   time  would   be 

n  shamed  of  such  conduct,    and  would  I  be- 

o,   despise  and  disown  one  who  should 

it  one  of  hisbretMfen  in  such  an  hypocritical 

manner.     Notwithstanding  the  Doctor  could 

not  tell  me  I  had  left  the  baptists,  nor  let  me 

1st  in  ordaining  the  Elder,  yet   after  we 

ae  out  of  the  house  where  the  council  met, 

lie  desired  me  to  baptise  a  man  who  wished 

to  join  his  church,    as  he  was  too  unwell 

to  baptise  him,  and   the  man  was  not  will- 


346  LIFE    OP 

ing  to  be  baptised  by  any  excepting  the  Doctor 
or  me.  This  I  refused  to  do,  as  I  knew  the 
Doctor  wished  me  to  baptise  him,  because 
lie  was  afraid  of  injuring  his  health  by  doing 
it  himself. 

There  had  been  no  one  thing  for  three 
years,  that  sunk  my  spirits  like  this.  The 
hypocrisy  I  discovered,  and  the  cruel  spirit 
I  saw  among  the  leaders  of  the  baptists,  led 
me  to  mourn,  to  think  what  that  once  flourish- 
ing people  had  come  to  ;  and  what  it  would 
grow  to  in  the  end.  I  returned  home,  thank- 
ful to  God  to  find  a  company  of  sincere 
brethren,  who  considered  Christ  their  all. 

Not  far  from  this  time,  Mr.  Buckminst'er, 
and  Mr.  Humphreys  of  Portsmouth,  wrote 
against  me.  Their  books  I  answered,  and 
they  answered  not  again.  Dr.  Osgood  wrote 
a  ridiculous  piece  against  baptism,  in  1801 ; 
this  I  answered  in  a  book  entitled,  "  The 
clergyman's  looking-glass,  JSf*o.  4.  This 
the  baptists  were  pleased  with,  as  it  described 
their  baptism,  and  they  had  not  then  wholly 
separated  me  from  their  company. 

Mr.  Baldwin's  famous  sermon  entitled, 
"  The  eternal  purpose  of  (rod  the  founda- 
tion of  effectual  calliif|,v  came  out  this 
year.  This  book  I  answered  in  a  pamphlet 
of  36  pages,  entitled,  "  A  man  in  the  smoke, 
and  a  friend  endeavoring  to  help  him  out."' 
He  never  made  any  public  reply  to  it  ;  for 
my  printer  said  he  was  a  man  of  too  much 
sen^e,  either    to  undertake  a  second  vindi- 


ELI  as   s:*yTif.  347 

nation  of  his  own  book,  or  to  attempt  an  over- 

v  of  what  was  said  against  it. 

This  year,  in  June,  my  attention  was  cal- 

k    of  the  real  state  of  the  wicked 

after  the  last  judgment.     Before  this  time,  I 

had  taken  for  truth  the  old  pagan  doctrine  of 

0  eternal  misery"  for  the  wicked.     In  June, 

1804,  being  in  Mr.  Holmes'  book-store,  in 
Boston,  I  asked  him  if  he  had  any  new  pub- 
lications. He  handed  me  "Evan's  Sketch/' 
On  opening  the  book,  my  eyas  first  fixed  on 
the  word,  «  destructionists."  I  read  one 
page,  and  concluded,  people  who  held  the 
wicked  would  be  destroyed,  were  in  a  strange 
error,  as  no  such  thing  ever  before  entered 
my  mind.  I  bought  the  book.  Often  after 
that  the  destruction  of  the  wicked  would  pass 
through  my  mind,  though  I  supposed  eternal 
misery  was  recorded  in  the  bible.     In  Apr:], 

1805,  I  concluded  one  day  to  take  my  bible 
and  concordance,  and  find  eternal  misery, 
and  not  have  my  mind  any  longer  troubled 
about  destruction.  I  examined  the  words 
misery,  miserable,  and  miserably  ;  and  found 
there  was  not  one  place  in  the  bible,  where 
the  word  was  used  to  describe  the  state  of 
man  beyond  death.  Next  I  looked  for  the 
word  torment,  anif  found  that  was  limited, 
and  that  there  was  no  torment  mentioned  be- 
yond the  day  of  judgment.  I  then  looked  at 
the  words  destroy,  destruction,  death,  second 
death,  perish,  consumed,  "perdition,  burnt  up, 
end,  fye.  1  examined  the  similitudes  used  to  de- 
be  the  cud  of  the  wicked,  such  as  chaf  aud 


348  IJFE    OF 

stubble  burnt  up  :  dry  trees  cast  into  the  fire, 
and  tares  burnt ;  the  fat  of  lambs  consumed, 
whirlicinds,  a  dream,  and  noise.  All  these 
things  proved  to  me  that  at  the  last  judgment, 
the  wicked  would  be  punished  with  everlast- 
ing destruction,  which  would  be  their  end. 

My  mind  was  settled  upon  the  subject;  but 
concluded  to  keep  my  discovery  to  myself ; 
as  the  people  were  almost  destracted  with 
having  so  many  new  thiugs  ;  such  as  that 
God  was  one  and  not  three,  and  that  all 
rules  but  the  bible  were  useless,  and  that  sal- 
vatien  was  free  for  all. 

My  first  preaching  and  writing,  disturbed 
the  clergy  and  the  wicked  ;  the  next  disturbed 
the  baptists,  and  I  was  about  certain,  if  this 
was  known,  it  would  disturb  my  brethren 
with  whom  I  was  connected.  I  kept  it  back 
as  long  as  duty  would  suffer  me,  and  was  con- 
strained at  last  to  make  it  known,  or  preach 
ho  more.  It  made  some  stir,  but  people  bore 
it  as  well  as  could  be  expected.  Soon  after 
preaching  it  ;*I  wrote  and  published  five  ser- 
mons upon  the  subject,  which  have  never  been 
answered  to  this  day. 

Though  the  doctrine  was  then  new,  yet  it 
has  since  spread,  into  almost  every  part  of  the 
United  States,  and  in  Vermont  it  has  been 
the  means  of  bringing  many  from  universal 
ism  and  deism  to  Christ  for  life.  In  the 
years  of  1804  and  1805,  I  was  constantly 
employed  either  in  writing,  travelling,  or 
preaching  ;  and  it  now  seems  almost  a  miracle, 
that  au  individual  should  endure  so   much 


ELIAS    SMITH.  3x9 

labor.  It  was  a  common  thing  for  me  to 
preach  from  eight  to  fifteen  times  in  eack 
week,  and  to  ride  from  one  to  two  hundred 
miles.  My  friends  and  enemies  kept  m© 
constantly  employed.  Many  times  I  wrote 
till  towards  day,  and  commonly  slept  about 
six  hours  out  of  twenty-four. 

There  were  four  churches  ;  these  I  visited 
often,  ?md  frequently  met  with  much  opposi- 
tion, while  endeavoring  to  obey  my  master's 
orders.  But  the  Lord  stood  by  me,  so  that  the 
gospel  was  fully  known.  In  this  time  the  re- 
formation continued  in  Portsmouth,  and  great 
numbers  were  turned  to  the  Lord. 

On  the  2d  day  of  June  this  year,  an  adver- 
tisement appeared  in  theN.  H.  Gazette,  which 
set  almost  the  whole  city  in  an  uproar.  The 
advertisement  mentioned  a  pamphlet  for 
sale,  describing  in  miniature,  an  episcopalian 
priest,  without  any  name.  The  book  was 
printed  by  John  Whitelock.  It  was  supposed 
I  was  the  author,  though  I  had  not  seen  the 
book.  The  printer  had  his  office  taken  from 
him  by  the  men  who  owned  it,  and  soon  after 
he  was  put  in  jail  by  the  episcopalian  clergy- 
man of  Portsmouth. 

I  was  out  of  town  on  Monday  and  came  in 
on  Wednesday  evening,  and  had  not  heard  of 
the  tumult,  until  almost  home.  In  the  even- 
ing as  I  went  to  the  meeting-house,  a  large 
number  of  riotous  people  had  gathered  around 
the  house,  who  were  very  noisy. 

Observing  the  tumult,  I  thought  it  be* 
return  home   without  attending  the  meeting. 

Ff 


350  LIFE    OF 

As  I  went  into  my  house,  a  friend  handed 
me  a  letter,  which  he  found  in  my  yard,  di- 
rected to  me.  The  contents  of  it  was  this  : 
That  I  had  insulted  the  whole  town,  and  that 
the  writer  thought  the  devil  would  not  let  me 
alone,  until  1  had  done  something  to  bring 
me  to  punishment ;  which  he  supposed  I  had 
now  done  by  publishing  the  above  named 
pamphlet.  That  there  was  a  rod  ii#  pickle 
for  me,  and  that  if  I  did  not  leave  the  town, 

I  should  have  a  good  hiding.  He  mentioned 
that  a  little  tar  and  feathers  well  applied, 
would  be  of  service  to  me,  &c. 

It  was  signed,  Homo. 

That  evening  the  people  in  the  meeting- 
house were  some  disturbed,  by  riotous  per- 
sons around  the  house  Thursday,  June  4, 
was  the  most  trying  day  I  had  ever  witnessed. 
In  the  forenoon,  I  went  to  the  barbers  shop 
in  Daniel -street  ;    after  being  shaved,   about 

II  o'clock,  I  went  down  Paved-street  to  th© 
Printing-Office,  in  Mr.  William  Simes' 
building.  A  few  minutes  after,  one  of  the 
journeymen  said,  there  was  a  man  below 
who  wished  to  see  me.  Finding  who  it  was, 
I  thought  it  prudent  not  to  go  down.  Soon, 
another  said  there  were  nearly  forty  men  in 
the  store  below,  and  that  the  office  was  sur- 
rounded to  keep  me  in. 

Each  one  may  judge  of  my  feelings  at  that 
time.  My  determination  was  to  stand  firm, 
come  what  Mould.  Mr.  Benjamin  Hill,  who 
occupied  the  store  below,  brought  up  an  axe 
and  set  it  within  the  door,    and  went  down 


■LIAS    SMITH.  351 

again.  Some  of  the  mob  were  for  going  up 
into  the  office  ;  but  Mr.  Hill,  as  I  was  in- 
formed, stood  upon  the  stairs,  and  told  them 
it  was  death  for  any  man  to  go  up  with- 
out my  leave,  la  thjp  time  I  sent  for  the 
sheriffs  and  my  friends,  to  come  immediately 
to  my  relief.  After  some  time,  Mr.  Hill  con- 
sented that  two  men  might  go  into  the  office, 
with  n^  consent,  if  they  would  give  their 
word  to  offer  me  no  abuse.  This  they  agreed 
to,  and  went  up. 

Mr.  John  Melcher,  Thomas  Treadwell, 
and  Henry  Bufford,  who  were  friends  to  me, 
went  up  with  them,  fearing  what  they  might 
do.  They  shewed  me  the  pamphlet,  and 
asked  me  if  I  was  the  author.  From  what  I 
told  them,  they  appeared  satisfied  that  some 
other  person  had  written  the  book. 

During  this  time,  some  of  the  mob  went 
into  the  store  of  Messrs.  H.  and  B.  Penhal- 
low,  and  enquired  for  whips,  without  tell  ng 
them  what  they  wanted  of  them.  The  whips 
were  taken  tlowrn,  and  they  agreed  to  call  and 
pay  for  them  if  wanted.  These  two  men 
were  much  displeased,  when  they  found  why 
they  enquired  for  whips,  as  they  were  oppos- 
ed to  such  kind  of  conduct. 

Before  the  mob  had  dispersad,  people  were 
gathering  from  every  part  of  the  town  to 
rescue  me  from  the  difficulty  the  rioters  placed 
me  in.  After  the  two  men  went  down,  whose 
names  I  now  conceal,  as  they  have  learnt 
better  «nce,  I  went  out  of  the  office  with  my 
two  friends,  Thomas  Treadwell  and  Henrv^ 


SaS  i>ife  ep 

*  Bufford,  who  walked  on  each  side  &f  me  to 
my  house,  in  the  sight  of  those  who  threaten- 
ed  to  whip  me,  as  soon  as  I  came  out  of  the 
office. 

The  tumult  did  not  and  here.  In  the  even- 
ing, several  hundreds^athered  around  the 
meeting-house,  determined  if  possible  to  take 
me  out.  At  meeting-time  my  friends  came 
to  my  house,  and  surrounded  me,  and  s^ walk- 
ed to  the  meeting-house,  and  into  the  pulpit; 
leaving  the  aisle  full  to  the  door.  Here  they 
stood  while  I  was  preaching  from  these 
words,  "  Ye  have  not  yet  resisted  unto  blood, 
striving  against  sin.?'  The  noise  of  the  mob 
around  the  house  was  so  great,  that  many 
times  my  voice  could  not  be  distinguished 
from  others.  After  preaching,  my  friends 
moved  out  of  the  gallery,  and  lower  part  of 
the  house  with  me,  so  that  as  soon  as  I  was 
in  the  street,  I  was  surrounded  nearly  twenty 
deep,  with  men  and  women,  who  told  me  not 
to  fear,  as  they  would  take  the  blows  first. 
They  drove  the  mob  before  them,  and  so  went 
with  me  to  my  house,  and  watched  it  through 
the  night ;  so  that  no  man  set  on  me  to  hurt 
at  that  time. 

The  evening  of  the  4<th  of  March  before  ; 
the  evening  after  Mr.  Jefferson  took  the  pre- 
sidential chair,  as  chief  magistrate  of  the  U- 
nited  States,  I  delivered  a  political,  religious 
discourse,  which  was  afterwards  printed,  and 
entitled,  "  The  whole  world  governed  by  a 
Jew."  This  greatly  enraged  the  law  reli- 
gion people,  and  it  was  thought  had   some 


ELI  AS    SMl'III.  353 

effect  on  the  political  affairs  in  the  State  of 
Newhainpshirc  ;   for   that  day  the    republi- 
can  governor,    (John  Langdon,  -Esq.)    to 
the  command,  to  the  great  grief  of  the  tories. 

That  evening,  afterl  left  the  house,  one  of 
the  principal  men  in  me  town,  came  up  to 
the  meeting-house,  and  addressed  the  mob  in 
an  excellent  manner.  He  told  them  it  was  a 
poor  sample  of  their  conduct,  under  a  repub- 
lican government  He  ordered  them  to  dis- 
perse. 

The  selectmen  conducted  with  zeal,  arid 
honor.  Thev  ordered  the  constables  and 
police  officers  to  attend  and  prevent  disturb- 
ance around  the  bouse.  The  members  of  the 
church,  male  and  female,  were  willing  to  lay 
down  their  lives  for  me.  This  is  but  a  short 
account  of  an  affair  which  will  ever  remain  a 
Wot  on  the  characters  of  those  who  were  lead- 
ers in  the  tumult. 

After  the  author  of  the  pamphlet  was 
known,  he,  the  printer,  and  woman,  who  first 
told  the  story  about  the  episcopalian  priest, 
were  all  prosecuted  for  defamation  of  charac- 
ter ;  though  he  would  never  let  the  matter 
come  to  trial.  The  priest  settled  it,  paid  the 
costs,  as  I  was  told,  and  quit  the  town  and 
country. 

This  year,  1805,  I  commenced  the  publi- 
cation of  a  work  entitled,  "  The  christian's 
magazine,  reviewer,  and  religions  intelli- 
gencer ;  containing  subjects,  historical,  doc- 
trinal, experimental,  practical  and  poeticalP 
This  was  published  once  in  three  months  for 
Ff* 


354  LIFE    OF  jte> 

w 

two  years.  Reviewing  so  many  of  the  popu- 
lar  sermons  of  the  day,  greatly  enraged  the 
clergy  and  their  subjects. 

This  year  I  became  acquainted  with  the 
free-will  bajrtists  ;  and  found  many  good, 
faithful  and  spiritual  preachers,  and  brethren 
among  them.  But  for  one  man,  1  should 
have  became  a  member  with  them,  so  far  as 
to  be  held  in  fellowship  as  a  fellow-laborer ; 
but  that  man  objected,  on  accovnt  of  my  be- 
lieving the  wicked  would  be  destroyed.  His 
opposition  at  that  time,  lessened  his  influence 
among  his  brethren,  and  he  has  been  losing 
ground  from  that  day. 

Soon  after  the  tumult  in  Portsmouth,  I 
visited  the  people  again  in  Freetown,  Long- 
plain  and  Newport,  R.  I.  My  good  friend, 
Job  Pierce,  of  Freetown,  received  me  hearti- 
ly, and  went  with  me  to  Newport,  and  sev- 
eral other  places  in  that  region.  In  that 
journey  I  attended  a  meeting  at  a  place  cal- 
led the  Furnace,  in  Freetown.  The  meeting 
was  appointed  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing, and  was  attended  in  an  orchard,  as  no 
kouse  there  would  hold  the  people.  That 
Hiorning,  Elder  Daniel  Hix,  who  lived  in 
Dartmouth,  several  miles  oft)  came,  and  sev- 
eral of  his  brethren,  to  see  and  hear  what 
this  new  doctrine  could  mean.  Soon  after 
he  entered  the  house  where  I  was,  he  thus 
addressed  me  :  "  Well  brother  Smith,  I  and 
Bjy  brethren  have  come  several  miles  this 
Biorning  to  near  you.  Some  of  toy  brethren, 
thought  on  the  way,  that  perhaps  you  would 


ELIAS    SMITH,  355 

not  preach  if  we  came  ;  but  I  told  them  you 
could  not  help  preaching  ;  for  we  were  so 
hungry  that  the  Lord  would  not  let  us  return 
without  food." 

He  further  added,  "  I  have  read  several 
of  your  books,  and  from  them  I  concluded 
you  wished  to  revolutionise  the  world.  At 
first  I  thought  you  would  not  succeed,  but  on 
the  whole,  I  do  not  know  but  you  will  do  it ; 
for  young  people  are  fond  of  new  things ■: 
and  the  old  people  will  soon  drop  off ;  and 
but  few  will  be  left  to  oppose. 

"  I  will  now  tell  you  brother  Smith,  as  I 
told  the  methodists  ;  they  might  make  me 
and  my  brethren  all  methodists  if  they  could. 
They  tell  me  you  wish  all  to  be  christians  ; 
make  us  all  christians  if  you  can,  I  am  wil- 
ling for  that."  We  had  an  heavenly  meet- 
ing together,  and  not  long  after  that,  he  and 
all  his  brethren  concluded  to  be  christians, 
and  followers  of  the  Lamb,  leaving  their 
sectarian  name  behind. 

From  Freetown  I  went  in  company  with 
Job  Pierce  to  Newport,  to  see  Elder  Eddy, 
a  baptist  preacher,  who  lived  there.  We  ar- 
rived at  his  house  on  Saturday  afternoon. 
He  received  us  kindly,  and  in  the  evening, 
we  went  to  see  Caleb  Green,  another  baptist 
preacher.  After  sitting  a  few  miuutes,  Mr. 
Green,  in  a  cold,  stiff  manner  addressed  me 
to  this  amount  :  "Mr.  Smith,  I  should  be 
glad  to  have  you  preach  in  my  meeting-house, 
but,  there  is  some  difficulty  at  Woburn,  and 
they  have  withdrawn  from  you,  and  you  have 


356  LIFE    OF 

left  the  baptists,  kc"  Stxm  after  this,  Elder 
Eddy  said,  let  us  return,  I  am  not  afraid  to 
Jet  you  preach  in  my  meeting-house ;  I  am  a 
free  man,  awl  do  not  belong  to  any  associa- 
tion, and  am  not  afraid  of  offending  anv  of 
them.  Mr.  Green's  treatment  vas  so  mean 
and  unbecoming  even  a  gentleman,  that  it 
made  me  feel  very  disagreeable,  as  I  knew 
he  iiad  never  been  very  highly  esteemed  by 
the  Warren  association. 

TVe    spent  the  evening  in  an   agreeal 
manner,  with  Elder  Eddy  and  his  family. 

After  we  retired  to  sleep,  I  dreamed,  that 
the  place  before  Elder  Eddy's  house,  called 
"  Washington  square."  was  appointed  to 
spread  a  table  to  feast  all  the  poor  of  the 
town  ;  and  that  after  the  feast,  I  was  to  preach 
the  gospel  to  them.  I  dreamed  that  the  table 
extended  from  one  end  of  the  square  to  the 
other  ;  that  Elder  Eddy  stood  with  me  at 
the  west  end  of  the  square,  which  ran  down 
to  a  point  ;  that  a  plank  was  placed  across 
the  square  just  above  us,  and  that  near  us 
was  a  short  fat  little  hog,  that  could  talk  ; 
who  told  m%  in  an  insolent  manner,  that  I 
should  not  preach  to  those  poor  people.  Af- 
ter the  poor  people  had  done  eating  ;  while 
preparing  to  preach,  the  little  hog  said,  he 
was.  determined  to  prevent  my  preaching  to 
them.  I  thought  in  my  dream,  that  I  had  a 
sword  in  my  hand;  the  point  of  which  I  put 
to  his  neck,  and  begun  to  crowd  him  with  it, 
and  pushed  him  till  he  fell  over  the  plank, 
on  his  back  ;  which  set  him  a   kicking  at 


EL^S    SMITH.  357 

both  ends,  while  he  kept  repeating  ;  "  you 
shall  not  preach,  you  shall  not  preach."  Af- 
ter this  I  dreamed  of  preaching  to  the  poor, 
without  any  interruption  from  the  little  hog. 

When  I  awoke,  the  application  of  my 
dream  was  easy.  And  from  that  day  to 
this,  I  have  considered  Caleb  Green,  where 
he  can  do  no  more  than  Icicle  y  and  say,  you 
shall  not  preach.  He  has  tried  since  that 
to  injure  me  ;  but  has  never  prevented  me 
from  preaching  the  gospel  to  the  poor,  and 
inviting  them  to  a  feast  of  fat  things. 

We  enjoyed  a  blessing  in  the  meetings  at 
Newport,  and  on  Monday  returned  to  Free- 
town. The  third  day  of  July,  1805,  I 
preached  at  a  meeting-house  in  Middle- 
borough,  to  a  very  large*and  solemn  assembly. 
Dr.  Hathaway,  who  had  been  a  deist,  atten- 
ded several  meetings  before  this,  and  felt  his 
unbelief  shaken.  At  this  meeting,  lie  viewed 
himself  undone  without  a  Saviour.  The 
next  morning,  I  went  to  his  house,  and  fouud 
him  walking  in  his  parlor,  and  saying, 
"1  am  undone." 

That  day  he  sat  out  to  visit  a  sick  person 
in  Berkley,  and  on  the  plain,  was  so  weighed 
down  with  a  sense  of  his  situation,  that  he 
stopped  his  horse,  kneeled  down  by  the 
wall  in  the  road,  and  prayed  .the  Lord  to 
have  mercy  om  him,  He  found  peace  in  his 
mind,  visited  the  sick,  administered  medi- 
cine, recommended  Christ,  prayed  with  the 
sick  person  and  returned  home  an  happy 
man.     He  Mas  soon  after  baptised,  and  to 


358  LIFE    GF 

this  day  has  walked  in  newness  of  life,  re- 
joicing in  hope  of  blest  immortality. 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

In  November  of  this  year,  I  travelled  in- 
to different  parts  ef  the  district  of  Maine, 
and  attended  the  free-will  baptists'  yearly 
meeting  in  Gorham,  and  formed  an  agreeable 
acquaintance  with  many  brethren  in  that 
region.  In  January,  I  attended  the  free-will 
quarterly  meeting  in  Gilmantown,  N.  H. 
From  there  I  went  to  New- Durham,  and 
visited  Elder  Benjamin  Randall. 

After  travelling  and  preaching  three  weeks 
in  that  region,  I  returned  home  the  last  of 
January,  1806.  In  my  absence,  a  letter  from 
Woodstock,  Vt.  was  sent,  which  informed 
me  that  an  old  man,  his  daughter,  and  her 
husband,  were  determine  1  to  be  free  from  the 
sectarian  names,  doctrines  and  laws,  and 
wished  me  to  come  and  visit  them,  and  preach 
the  perfect  law  of  liberty.  This  looked  like 
a  small  beginning  ;  but  knowing  that  the 
kingdom  of  heaven  in  its  beginning,  was  like 
a  grain  of  mustard  seed,  I  felt  encouraged  to 

At  this  time,  almost  all  the  bnpiist  minis- 
ters  had  left  me,  or  were  disaffected  at  the 
new  doctrine,  I  had  preached,  as  they  called 
it.  Elder  Jones  was  some  hurt  respecting 
the  end  of  the  wicked  ;  and  the  conference, 
I  concluded  to  attend  no  more,  as  they  seem- 


■ 


BtlAS    SMITH.  S59 


ed  in  general  inclined  to  continue  baptists, 
though  they  had  agreed  to  leave  all  not  found 
in  the  new-testament.  With  all  these  things 
in  view,  myself  poor,  hated,  despised,  and 
disowned  by  those  who  had  highly  esteemed 
me,  my  mind  was  not  a  little  tried.  How- 
ever, believing  I  was  engaged  in  the  cause 
of  truth,  which  was  great  and  would  prevail, 
the  Wednesday  after  my  return  from  New- 
Durham,  I  set  out  for  Woodstock,  to  visit 
the  three  who  sent  for  me. 

I  arrived  there  the  next  Saturday  evening} 
and  the  next  day  found  a  considerable  num- 
ber of  baptists  and  methodists  who  were  de- 
termined to  be  free.  I  tarried  and  preached 
there  about  six  weeks  ;  and  in  that  time  about 
thirty-six  united  together  as  christians,  own- 
ing Chirst  their  only  Lord,  Master,  and 
Lawgiver.  There  was  some  opposition,  and 
much  union.  In  this  visit,  I  gave  up  clo^e 
communion,  which  I  had  held  till  then.  It 
was  hard  work  to  give  it  up,  having  believed 
it  so  Ions:. 

The  first  communion  we  had  after  the 
church  was  gathered  according  to  the  new- 
testament,  a  considerable  number  of  cowgve- 
zptionalisis,  and  methodists,  with  some  bap- 
tists, communed  with  us.  Here  close  com- 
munion, an  invention  of  men,  left  me  ;  nor 
have  I  ever  been  troubled  with  it  since.  In 
the  month  of  March,  I  left  the  brethren  hap- 
py, and  united  in  the  truth,  walking  in  love. 
From  this  small  beginning  in  the  year  1806, 
in  the  state  of  Yermont,  the  cause  of  Christ, 


J60  life  op 

and  christian  liberty  has  spread  into  almost 
Gvery  part  of  the  state,  in  a  greater  or  less 
degree.  There  are  a  great  number  of 
churches,  and  preachers,  who  now  live  in 
love  and  peace,  and  the  God  of  love  and 
peace  is  with  them. 

While  at  Woodstock,  I  became  consider- 
ably acquainted  with  the  nature  of  the  nieth- 
odist  hierarchy,  as  contained  in  the  different 
editions  of  their  discipline.  After  my  return, 
I  wrote,  and  published,  a  review  of  the 
znethodist  discipline ;  in  which  it  was  proved 
that  their  doctrine  was  unscriptural,  as  it 
respected  God  and  Christ  ;  and  that  their 
government  was  contrary  to  gospel  liberty. 
This  made  a  great  stir,  till  people  were  con- 
vinced of  the  truth  of  what  was  written.  On 
account  of  many  questions  asked  me  concern- 
ing the  new- testament,  and  what  was  re- 
quired of  christians,  for  the  help  ef  others,  I 
Wrote  a  book  entitled,  "  The  age  of  enquiry, 
christian's  pocket  comjjanion,  and  daily  as- 
sistant.'9 

At  the  time  I  was  in  Woodstock,  brother  John 
Hand  and  Elder  Ej)hraim  Stinchjield  preach- 
ed in  Chebacco,  a  parish  in  Ipswich,  Mass. 
A  great  reformation  took  place,  and  a  church 
was  gathered  there  according  to  the  new-tes- 
tament. Elder  John  Rand  preached  there 
for  several  years  after. 

In  the  spring  of  4806,  there  were  six 
churches  without  articles,  or  an  anti-christian 
name.  One  in  Portsmouth  :  one  in  Brad- 
ford and  Haverhill :  one  in  Boston ;  one  in 


ELI  AS    SMITH.  3oi 

Nantasket ;  one  in  Chebacco,  and  one  in 
Woodstock,  Vt.  This  I  considered,  and. 
now  believe  was  the  Lord's  doings,  and  was 
marvellous  in  our  eyes.  My  enemies  thought 
\\  hen  Dr.  Shepard  and  others  left  me,  all 
would  come  to  nothing  ;  but  at  this  time, 
they  were  afraid  their  joy  would  be  but  for  a 
moment. 

In  June,  I  attended  the  free-will  baptist 
yearly  meeting  at  New-Durham,  N.  H.  The 
meeting  was  held  on  the  day  of  the  total 
eclipse,  and  was  the  most  solemn  and  awful 
time  I  ever  before  witnessed.  At  this  meet- 
ing the  news  of  my  father's  death  was  brought 
to  me.  On  reading  the  account,  I  felt  as  if 
all  was  gone,  for  several  hours.  Every  bar- 
rier between  me  and  death  was  removed. 
Ha  was  sixty -nine  years  old  when  he  died  ; 
and  was  very  happy  and  reconciled  to  death, 
having  hope  of  the  resurrection  of  the  just. 

This  year,  I  published  a  piece  entitled, 
"  Jl  short  sermon  to  the  calvinistic  baptists 
in  Massachusetts  ;"  from  these  words  :  1 
Samuel,  xxvi.  19,  20.  "  Now,  therefore,  I 
pray  thee,  let  ray  Lord  the  king  hear  the 
words  of  thy  servant  If  the  Lord  have  stir- 
red thee  up  against  me,  let  him  accept  an  offer- 
ing ;  but  if  they  be  the  children  of  men, 
cursed  be  they  before  the  Lord  ;  for  they  have 
driven  me  out  this  day  from  abiding  in  the 
inheritance  of  the  Lord,  saying,  go,  serve 
other  gods.  Now,  therefore,  let  not  my 
blood  fall  to  the  earth  before  the  face  of  the 
Lord  ;    for  the  king  of  Israel  is  come  out  to 


368  LIFE    OF 

seek  a  flea,  as  when  one  doth  hunt  a  par- 
tridge  in  the  mountains." 

The  occasion  of  writing  and  publishing 
the  sermon  was  this  :  after  publishing  my 
reasons  for  withdrawing  from  the  baptists, 
several  of  the  leaders,  used  their  influence  to 
stir  up  the  people  against  me,  in  different 
parts  of  the  country.  The  following  was 
contained  in  the  sermon,  which  the  baptist 
ministers  and  people  never  have  denied  to 
this  day : 

"  Those  who  have  in  particular  been  stirred 
up  against  me,  are  the  baptist  churches  in 
Boston,  Charlestown,  \\  oburn,  Reading, 
Haverhill,  Exeter  and  Brentwood.  The 
men  who  have  been  the  principal  actors  in 
stirring  them  up,  are  Samuel  Stillman  and 
Thomas  Baldwin,  baptist  ministers  in  Bos- 
ton. The  two  baptist  ministers  in  Boston 
have  conducted  in  the  same  manner  towards 
me,  that  the  Jews  did  towards  the  Apostles. 
After  they  had  expelled  me  out  of  their  ves- 
try and  meeting-house  coast  ;  I  went  to 
Charlestown,  where  many  heard  the  word  in 
the  town-hall  ;  but  these  two  men,  by  their 
words  or  conduct,  stirred  up  the  people, 
with  the  minister,  and  the  baser  sort  against 
me,  so  that  the  rabble  without,  made  noises, 
beat  drums,  blew  horns,  and  threw  stones  at 
the  house  where  we  were  met  for  worship. 
"When  some  of  the  brethren  reproved  them 
for  their  conduct,  they  justified  themselves 
by  saying,  I  had  no  business  to  preach  there, 
for,  said  they,  "  Dr.  Stillman  and  Mr.  Bald- 
win do  not  approve  of  him" 


ELIAS    SMITH.  363 

111  Salem  they  stirred  up  the  people,  and 
when  I  went  there,  a  certain  woman,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  baptist  church,  treated  me  with  ueg- 
lect,  for  this  reason,  said  she  to  me,  "  I  do 
not  think  a  man  can  be  right  that  Dr.  Siill- 
man  and  Mr.  Baldwin  do  not  approve  of" 
In  Reading,  I  met  with  the  same  treatment  ; 
I  asked  a  friend  the  meaning ;  he  said,  "that 
they  were  ruled  by  Mr.  Baldwin,"  or  words 
to  that  amount. 

When  I  went  to  Beverly,  where  the  people 
before  this  were  so  desirous  to  hear,  that  they 
would  come  out  of  their  houses,  as  I  passed 
along,  to  urge  me  to  preach,  all  were  cold  and 
indifferent.  When  I  asked  the  reason  of  it, 
the  answer  was,  "  Dr.  Stillman  and  Mr. 
Baldwin  are  against  yon,  and  it  will  not  do 
to  ask  you  to  preach."  When  I  came  to  Hav- 
erhill, where  hundreds  used  to  hear,  there 
was  but  one  man  in  the  town  that  I  knew  of, 
to  receive  me  into  his  house.  The  reason 
given  was,  that  "Mr.  Baldwin  had  wrote  on 
to  them  that  it  would  not  do." 

A  brother  from  Brentwood  told  me  that  Mr. 
Baldwin  wrote  on  to  Dr.  Shepard,  and  stir- 
red him  up  against  me.  He  said  he  knew 
one  sentence  in  the  letter,  and  that  was  all  ho 
heard.  These  are  the  words  ;  "  that  Mr. 
Smith  and  Mr.  Jones  had  scattered  a  great 
deal  of  free-will  stuff  in  Boston." 

A  brother  in  Haverhill,  told  me,  that  when 
Mr.  Baldwin  was  in  Ipswich,  he  stirred  up 
the  people  there,  and  told  them  that  if  Smith 


364  LIFE    OF 

and  Jones  came  there,  he  should  not,  or  to 
that  amount." 

When  Mr.  Baldwin  preached  in  Free- 
town, where  I  had  preached,  some  of  the  peo- 
ple told  me  that  his  sermon  was  so  pointed, 
that  they  knew  he  meant  me,  as  much  as 
though  he  had  called  me  by  name.  Many 
were  much  dissatisfied  with  his  conduct  in 
this  matter  ;"  and  I  believe  he  never  preach- 
ed there  again. 

In  the  midst  of  all  the  reproaches,  poverty, 
and  persecutions  I  then  endured,  with  the 
loss  of  almost  all  my  old  friends  and  brethren ; 
this  place  of  scripture  was  a  constant  support 
and  comfort  to  me  :  "  Hear  the  word  of  the 
Lord,  ye  that  tremble  at  his  word.  Your 
brethren  that  hated  you  ;  that  cast  you  oat 
for  my  names  sake,  said,  let  the  Lord  be  glo- 
rified ;  bat  he  shall  appear  to  your  joy,  and 
they  shall  be  ashamed."  Isa.  lxvi.  5.  I  have 
lived  to  see  the  accomplishment  of  this  word 
of  the  Lord.  My  heart  has  been  filled  with 
joy  to  see  the  spread  of  the  gospel,  the  in- 
crease of  converts,  and  free  churches  from 
Nova-Scotia  to  Georgia  ;  and  into  Canada, 
west  to  the  Holland  purchase,  and  on  to  the 
Mississippi  river,  and  beyond.  Through  this 
extent  of  country,  the  principles  preached  in 
Portsmouth,  in  1803,  have  spread,  and  in  this 
year,  (1816,)  is  spreading  beyond  what  was 
ever  before  known. 

I  have  no  doubt  that  those  who  treated  me 
with  such  injustice,  are  now  ashamed  ;  and 
#ould  I  do  justice,  and  feel  clear,  in  omitting 


ELIAS    SMITH. 


S65 


their  names  and  deeds,  I  would  cast  a  veil 
over  the  whole  ;  but  duty  requires  that  these 
things  should  be  brought  to  light,  that  the 
present  and  future  generations  may  see  the 
hand  of  God,  in  preserving  and  prospering 
an  individual  from  harm,  in  the  midst  of 
such  a  torrent  of  opposition,  which  poured  in 
from  almost  every  direction. 


CHAPTER  XXXVII. 

In  the  year  1808,  I  published  proposals 
for  printing  an  illustration  of  the  prophecies 
yet  to  be  fulfilled  :  a  subject  which  I  had 
been  studying  for  about  ten  years.  In  March. 
1807, 1  began  to  write  what  had  been  proposed 
to  be  published.  The  subject  was  great, 
glorious,  and  extensive.  I  wrote  three  weeks  j 
and  in  that  time  had  about  one  half  done 
of  what  was  proposed. 

The  particulars  written  were  so  glorious? 
that  my  mind  was  at  times  overpowered  by 
the  things  I  wrote  upon,  and  my  conclusion 
was,  to  drop  the  business  awhile,  and  journey 
to  preach  the  everlasting  gospel  to  the  chil- 
dren of  men.  Just  at  this  time,  1  received  a 
letter  from  Elder  Daniel  Hix,  of  Dartmouth, 
Mass.  informing  me,  that  he  and  the  church., 
excepting  about  four,  which  consisted  of 
more  than  four  hundred  members,  had  agreed 
to  leave  the  baptist  order,  and  to  stand  as 
christians  only,  without  any  other  name  ; 
owning  Christ  as  their  only  "Lawgiver.     U>, 

GS2    ' 


366 


f.IFE    OF 


requested  me  to  come  and  help  them,  and 
preach  the  gospel  in  that  region.  This 
mews  gave  me  great  joy,  and  encouraged  me 
in  the  midst  of  the  opposition  I  then  endured 
from  the  calvinistic  baptists.  Elder  Hix, 
and  the  church  he  belonged  with,  were  con- 
sidered free-will,  open  communion  baptists, 
and  belonged  to  what  was  called  the  Groton 
conference,  in  Connecticut  ;  which  differed 
but  little  from  an  association,  excepting  in 
the  name.  This  conference  held  a  corres- 
pondence with  the  Warren  association,  and 
were  in  fellowship  with  the  ministers  and 
members  ;  though  the  game  ministers  had  no 
correspondence,  nor  fellowship  with  the  free- 
"will  baptists  in  New-Hampshire  and  the 
the  district  of  Maine, 

The  account  of  this  separation  from  the 
baptists  was  published  in  my  magazine,  and 
caused  great  joy  to  the  christian  brethren;  and 
struckadamp  on  my  opposers.  Elder  Hix  told 
me  that  one  man  told  him,  that  in  leaving  the 
baptists,  and  joining  with  Smith,  he  had 
done  more  hurt  than  in  all  his  life  before. 
Elder  Hix  asked  him  how  he  had  dona  it. 
Why,  said  he,  if  you  had  let  Smith  alone, 
he  would  have  soon  come  to  nothing  ;  but 
now  you  have  joined  with  him,  he  will  never 
run  out,  for  all  your  acquaintance  think  you 
are  a  good  man. 

In  the  last  of  March,  soon  after  receiving 
Elder  Hix's  letter,  I  set  out  for  Freetown 
and  Dartmouth,  and  took  with  me  a  young 
brother,  by  the  namo  of  Frederick  Pluiner, 


J4LIAS    SMITH.  •  367 

from  Hayerhill,  who  had  an  acceptable  gift 
in  prayer  and  exhortatioH.     We  went  first  to 
Freetown,    (Assonnet,)   and   from  there    to 
Dartmouth.      The   attention  of   the  people 
there  to   hear  the  word  was  great,    and  an 
awful  solemnity   rested  on  the  people   White 
hearing  the  word.     After  preaching,  I  came 
down  from    the  pulpit,  and  stood  before  it ; 
a  young  person  came  to  me  in  tears,  and  said 
pray  for  me,  for  I  want  salvation.     A   large 
number   of  young  people   gathered  around, 
and  when  I  kneeled  down  to  pray,  towards 
one  hundred  kneeled  down  around  me,    who 
felt  their  need  of  a  Saviour.     A  glorious  re- 
vival of  religion  took  place  there,  and  spread 
in  various  directions. 

From  Dartmouth,  we  went  to  New-Bed- 
ford, about  eight  miles  from  there.  Brother 
Obed  Kempton,  of  New-Bedford,  with  his 
wife,  met  us  about  three  miles  from  there  j 
where  we  attended  a  meeting  on  Saturday 
afternoon,  and  after  meeting  they  accompanied 
us  to  their  house.  Sunday  morning  I  met  a 
few  people  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Sherman, 
and  spake  to  them  in  the  forenoon.  At  noon, 
the  people  heard  af  my  preaching  there,  and 
proposed  to  have  the  meeting  held  at  William 
Roach's  rope- walk  in  the  afternoon.  At  the 
hour  appointed  the  people  came  from  all 
parts  of  the  town  to  hear.  It  might  be  said 
with  propriety,  1<  Almost  the  whole  city 
came  together  to  hear  the  word  of  the  Lord/" 
The  word  proved  a  blessing  to  many  who 
heard,     la  the  evening  we  attended  a  meet- 


268  ll¥V   OF 

ingat  ObedKetnpton's  house.  The^  people 
filled  the  house,  and  those  who  could  not  get 
in  stood  around  to  hear.  A  glorious  reforma- 
tion took  place  there  and  in  Fair-Haven^ 
across  the  river. 

In  a  short  time  after  the  reformation  be- 
gan on  both  sides  of  the  river,  opposition 
sprung  up  also.  The  sectarians  began  to 
whisper  around  the  Salisbury  and  Wobura 
matters,  and  to  intimate  that  my  character 
was  bad  in  other  places,  though  no  such  thing 
was  talked  publicly.  After  some  time,  1  told 
the  people  publicly,  that  the  stories  in  circu- 
lation were  false,  and  that  they  were  told* 
that  I  might  leave  the  town.  I  also  related 
the  following  circumstance  to  them.  "  A 
certain  old  bachelor  went  one  winter  to  visit 
his  cousin,  who  appeared  at  first  glad  to  see 
him.  After  he  had  stayed  two  weeks,  he  and 
his  family  grew  tired  of  him  ;  and  agreed 
one  night,  that  the  next  morning  they  would 
appear  very  quarrelsome  among  themselves, 
that  the  old  cousin  might  leave  the  house. 

This  he  perceived  in  the  morning,  and  after 
breakfast,  thus  addressed  his  relative  : 
"cousin,  I  have  been  with  you  a  fortnight, 
and  you  have  been  very  peaceable,  and  just 
as  I  was  going  away,  you  are  all  in  a  quar- 
rel ;  and  I  have  concluded  to  stay  a  fortnight 
longer,  if  you  are  not  good  humored  before/' 

I  also  told  them  they  had  an  opportu- 
nity to  prove  their  reports,  as  I  should 
tarry  to  give  them  an  opportunity  to  prove 
ine  a  bad  man,  or  themselves  liars  ;  and 
that  when  bad  things  were  said  or  done  to 


ELIAS    SMITH.  36{f 

the  apostles,  tbey  tarried  the  longer  ;  and  it 
was  my  determination  to  follow  thair  exam- 
ple, of  whom  it  was  said,  Acts  xiv.  2,  3, 
u  Bat  the  unbelieving  Jews  stirred  up  the 
Gentiles,  and  made  their  minds  evil  affected 
against  the  brethren.  Long  time  therefore 
abode  they,  speaking  boldly  in  the  Lord, 
which  gave  testimony  unto  the  word  of  his 
grace."  I  also  told  the  people  if  they 
wished  us  gone,  they  must  behave  well 
while  we  were  among  them.  From  that 
evening,  evil  reports  had  but  little  effect  on 
the  minds  of  the  people,  and  the  opposers 
of  the  work  concluded  their  strength  was  to 
set  still. 

After  preaching  awhile  in  New-Bedford,  I 
went  to  a  place  called  Long-plain,  eight  miles 
from  Bedford,  at  a  meeting-house  where  Elder 
Hix  preached  half  the  time.  A  large  number 
:rrt--M-  ftttetiiieu,  -  spaKe  upon  these 
words.  Axis  xxvi.  16,  "Fori  h/ive  appeared 
unto  thee  for  this  purpose,  to  make  thee  a 
minister,  and  a  witness/*  &c.  I  told  the 
people  there  were  five  sorts  of  ministers  in 
the  world.  1.  Those  whom  the  Lord  made. 
2.  Those  whom  the  devil  made.  3.  Those 
whom  men  made.  4.  Those  who  made 
themselves  ;  and  5.  These  who  were  never 
made  at  all.  When  the  fifth  class  of  minis- 
ters were  mentioned,  an  old  presbyterian 
deacon  who  came  to  hear,  took  his  hat  and 
left  the  house,  fearing  as  I  supposed,  that  a 
description  of  ministers  not  made  at  all,  would 
be  a  description  of  the  man  of  his  choice. 


870  JLiFE    or 

In  this  meeting,  Elder  Hix  told  the  people 
lie  was  convinced  that  the  Lord  had  called 
me  to  preach,  as  he  had  found  converts  in  the 
places  where  I  had  preached.  This  struck 
a  death  blow  to  my  enemies,  as  his  recommen- 
dation had  considerable  weight  on  the  minds 
of  the  people  who  heard  his  testimony. 
From  this  place  I  returned  to  Portsmouth, 
preaching  the  gospel  in  the  towns  between 
Freetown  and  Ntwhampshire. 

The  "  Gtroton  Conference,"  was  to  be 
holden  that  year,  at  the  Longplain  meeting- 
house, in  June.  This  I  calculated  by  all 
means  to  attend,  as  the  ministers  calculated 
to  call  Elder  Hix  to  an  account,  for  leaving 
them,  and  joining  with  Smith,  as  they  termed 
it. 

The  conference  was  held  on  the  twenty- 
fourth  and  twenty-fifth  of  June,  1807-  As 
there  was  a  great  revival  of  religion  in  that 
region,  several  brethren  went  with  me  to  the 
meeting.  The  ministers  who  composed  the 
conference,  knew  beforehand  what  Elder  Hix 
and  the  church  had  done,  and  of  course  came 
in  a  very  unhappy  temper  of  mind.  They 
considered  me  the  cause  of  the  great  overturn 
in  that  region,  though  truth  was  the  real  cause. 
On  Wednesday,  at  ten  o'clock,  the  ministers 
and  delegates,  with  a  large  number  of  people 
met  in  the  meeting-house.  Elder  William 
Northrop  tried  to  preach  first.  He  was  much 
embarrassed,  and  acknowledged  afterwards, 
that  he  forgot  a  part  of  what  he  meant  to  have 
communicated.     He  was  told  that  his  hard- 


ELIAS    SMITH.  371 

Bess  against  Smith  was  the  reason  he  could 
not  preach. 

These  srreat  ministers  left  the  house  about 
the  middle  of  the  day,  and  returned  at  two 
o'clock.  All  their  wheels  moved  hard  and 
slow  each  day.  In  the  intermission  of  the 
second  day,  the  conference  were  greatly  dis- 
turbed with  Smith,  whom  they  considered 
the  cause  of  all  their  difficulty.  Elder  Hix 
told  them  that  nine  tenths  of  the  people  wish- 
ed Elias  Smith  to  preach  in  the  afternoon, 
and  that  if  they  opposed  it,  they  would  be 
disasteemed  by  the  people  in  general.  This 
they  cared  but  little  about.  Some  of  them 
objected,  saying  Smith  held  damnable  doc- 
trines. One  of  them  said  he  did  not  suppose 
Smith  ever  believed  the  bible.  Mr.  Eben* 
ezer  Nelson,  from  Reading,  said,  I  was  then 
under  admonition.  This  same  man  was  at 
that  time  under  admonition  of  the  church  in 
Middleborough,  and  had  been  for  several 
years,  for  wrong  conduct,  which  he  had  been 
too  stubborn  to  confess.  The  ministers  were 
so  enraged  at  me,  that  they  foamed  out  their 
shame  in  my  hearing,  while  walking  across 
the  room  where  they  were  talking. 

The  day  was  uncommonly  wet,  as  the  rain 
fell  very  fast.  After  the  ministers  had  done 
their  conference  business,  and  preaching,  El- 
der Hix  told  the  people  that  brother  Smith 
would  preach  in  fif:een  minutes  from  that 
time.  As  soon  as  the  great  ministers  heard 
that,  they  took  their  hats  and  great  coats,  and 
went  immediately  out  of  the  house  into  the 


37S  LIFE    OF 

rain.  They  aeted  like  mad  men,  more  than 
messengers  of  peace  ;  and  they  put  me  ia 
mind  of  the  sons  of  Sceva,  who  lied  out  of 
the  house,  naked  and  wounded.  Their  con* 
duct  was  the  most  ridiculous  I  ever  saw  among 
men  professing  to  be  ministers  of  Christ 

Oh  the  whole,  I  do  not  remember  of  ever 
•seeing  a  company  of  ministers  who  set  out 
to  be  masters,  more  chagrined.  The  brethren 
as  a  body  had  rejected  the  conference,  asso- 
ciation, and  missionary  plans,  and  were  free, 
and  the  ministers  knew  H ;  and  saw  no  pros- 
pect of  their  ever  returning  back  to  the  old 
baptist  order.  The  meeting  closed  in  peace, 
and  we  parted  in  love  ;  notwithstand- 
ing all  the  rage  against  one  who  has  ever 
wished  them  well  in  welldoing. 

From  the  spring  of  1807,  to  November,  I 
spent  the  greater  part  of  the  time  in  New- 
Bedford,  and  the  towns  around  ;  and  was 
constantly  employed  in  preaching,  writing 
and  baptising.  In  that  time,  over  four  hun- 
dred were  baptised  by  different  preachers  in 
that  region.  In  Assonnet,  where  I  first  vis- 
ited, Elder  Philip  Hathaway,  who  had  been 
a  baptist,  was  remarkably  blest  among  the 
people  after  he  determined  to  live  a  free  man. 
Many  Were  converted  there  whom  he  bap- 
tised. 

That  summer,  a  man  by  the  name  of  Ellis, 
in  Rochester,  the  town  joining  New-Bedford, 
requested  me  to  preach  at  his  house.  The 
people  there  were  much  opposed  to  me,  and 
threatened  to  raise  a  mob  to  carry  me  oul 


BLIAS    SMITH.  373 

I  attempted  to  preach  there.  However,  a 
meeting  was  appointed,  and  I  attended  at 
the  house,  in  company  with  Elder  J.  Plum- 
er.  As  soon  as  we  came  in  sight  of  the  house, 
we  observed  a  very  large  number  of  men 
standing  around  the  house,  which  led  us  to 
think  they  had  come  with  a  design  to  make 
disturbance.  When  we  came  up  to  the  house, 
the  whole  was  explained,  There  were  so 
many  who  wished  to  hear  the  word,  that  on- 
ly the  women  could  get  into  the  house. 

The  man  made  seats  before  the  house  for 
the  men  ;  took  out  his  windows,  and  I  stood 
in  the  door  to  speak  ;  so  that  all  in  the  house 
and  around  it  could  hear.  There  were  more 
people  brought  to  a  sense  of  their  need  of  a 
Saviour  in  this  meeting  than  I  had  ever  be- 
fore known.  Many  were  pricked  in  the 
heart,  and  said  in  tears,  "  wlia*  shall  we  do 
to  be  saved. "  After  meeting,  it  wns  difficult 
getting  from  them,  as  they  surrounded  the 
carriage  :  taking  us  by  the  hand,  and  say- 
ing, "pray  for  us."  Within  six  weeks  from 
that  day,  over  seventy  gave  an  evidence  of 
being  converted  to  God,  and  were  baptised 
according  to  the  command  of  Chmt. 

That  summer,  I  went  by  request  to  Litth- 
Compton,  a  town  on  the  sea-coast,  in  the 
east  part  of  the  state  of  Rhode-Island.  In, 
this  town  they  had  an  hopkintonian  preach- 
er, and  a  good  free-will  baptist  preacher,  by 
the  name  of  Peckham.  He  and  his  brethren 
received  me  heartily,  and  invited  me  to  preach 
in  the  meeting-house,  and  their   dwelling- 

Hh 


37*  life  or  * 

houses.  While  at  -Liitle-Compton,  Isaac 
Wilier,  Esq.  who  was  then  a  member  of  con- 
gress,  proposed  to  me  to  conduct  a  religious 
newspaper,  that  should  give  a  description  of 
that  religions  liberty  that  is  in  harmony  w  itii 
civil  liberty.  He  stated  that  people  in  this 
country  had  a  better  understanding  of  civil 
than  religious  liberty  ;  and  he  thought  that 
a  work  of  this  kjnd  would  bo  very  useful  to 
the  people  of  the  United  States, 

The  next  winter,  he,  while  at  congress, 
sent  to  me  a  proposal  of  the  publication  be- 
fore-mentioned, and  the  plan  contemplated 
by  him  and  other  members.  The  plan  was 
liberal,  and  several  of  my  particular  friends 
thought,  a3  I  was  poor,  this  would  afford 
me  some  help,  while  benefiting  others.  So  it 
appeared  to  me  at  first ;  but  after  mature  de- 
liberation, I  concluded  the  plan  though  lib- 
eral, would  not  do  for  me. 

I  had  endured  the  loss  of  property  and 
friends,  with  much  persecution,  to  obtain  my 
freedom.  I  thought  that  to  undertake  a  work 
of  this  kind,  under  the  direction  of  others 
would  confine  me.  They  might  wish  some 
things  published,  w iiich  1  should  not  like  ; 
and  I  might  wish  to  publish  some  things  dis- 
agreeable to  them  ;  and  therefore  concluded 
to  undertake  it  at  my  own  risk.  Their  lib- 
erality I  acknowledged  in  a  letter  sent  to 
Washington,  and  soon  after,  issued  propos- 
als for  printing  the  *  rlhe  Herald  of  Gospel 
Liberty,"  and  published  the  first  number  in 
September  1,  1808. 


ELIAS    SMITH.  375 

This  year,  I  visited  Chebaceo  several  limes 
in  the  course  of  six  months,  and  met  with 
abuse  from  the  enemies  of  truth.  A  great 
number  were  converted  to  God  in  that  parish 
that  year,  which  greatly  disturbed  the  law- 
religion  people  ;  and  they  aimed  their  ven- 
geance at  me.  as  the  supposed  cause  of  what 
they  called  disturbance.  Once  they  took  the 
nuts  off  that  held  up  the  thorough  braces  of 
my  carriage.  Once  they  cut  one  of  them  al- 
most off.  intending  to  let  me  down  ;  and  once 
they  took  off  my  carriage  wheel  in  the  night,, 
and  hung  it  up  on  the  mast  head  of  a  vessel, 
which  lay  about  half  a  mile  from  where  my 
carriage  stood.  Mv  friends  took  it  down  the 
next  day,  and  though  it  had  been  hung,  it 
went  very  well  the  next  day. 

Sometime  before  this,  I  went  to  Hampton- 
falls  to  preach  and  baptise.  On  that  occasion 
I  was  ledjo  speak  upon  baptism  in  particu- 
lar. Several  of  the  infant-sprinkling  people 
attended.  I  told  the  people  there  was  but 
one  place  in  the  bible  that  had  any  reference 
to  infant  baptism  to  my  knowledge,  and  I 
was  not  certain  that  infant  baptism  was  meant 
there  ;  though  it  was  my  mind  it  was.  This 
drew  the  attention  of  the  whole  assembly,  for 
ESo  one  there  had  ever  read  of  it  in  the  bible. 
I  told  them  that  when  John  was  on  the  Isle 
of  Patmos,  he  saw  a  beast  rise  out  of  the 
earth,  having  horns  like  a  lamb,  and  he 
ed  all,  both  small  and  great  to  receive  a  mark 
in  their  right  hand,  or  in  tbeir^reAea^  and 
that  mark  I  supposed  was  infant  sprinkling  .* 


376  LIFE    OF 


i 


and  on  that  account,  they  put  the  water  on  the 
child's  face  instead  of  his  feet.  This  made  a 
great  stir  among  many  ;  but  the  house  was  so 
"ull  of  people,  that  they  were  obliged  to  stay 
and  hear  the  conclusion  of  the  whole  matter. 

In  this  year,  1807,  the  clergy  in  Massa- 
chusetts, and  Newhampshire  in  particular, 
were  greatly  disturbed,  on  account  of  my 
writing  and  preaching.  In  Portsmouth  and 
the  towns  around,  a  considerable  number  of 
them  were  dismissed,  and  came  up  like  trees 
plucked  up  by  the  roots.  In  my  magazine,  I 
wrote  an  history  of  the  clergy  from  the  third 
century,  down  to  the  year  1807.  This  great- 
ly disturbed  the  chemarims  ;  [the  black  coat- 
ed priests,  Zeph.  i,  4,]  who  were  not  at  all 
pleased  to  see  the  history  of  their  order  for 
fifteen  hundred  years. 

At  a  certain  time,  when  in  Boston,  a  cler- 
gyman, who  had  been  reading  the  clergyman's 
looking-glass,  thus  addressed  me  :  "  Mr. 
Smith,  you  are  too  severe  with  the  clergy  in 
your  writings."  Sir  I  am  not,  for  they  are 
a  set  of  useless  men  in  Massachusetts,  crowd- 
ed upon  the  people  without  their  consent  ; 
and  the  people  support  them  out  of  necessi- 
ty, and  not  from  choice.  He  replied,  '•<  I  de- 
ny the  charge,  and  require  yen  to  prove  it.'* 
This  sir,  I  am  ready  to  do.  Supposing,  sir, 
a  number  of  merchants  had  a  cargo  of  bad 
rum,  which  cost  them  fifty  cents  per  gallon, 
which  is  all  their  property,  and  will  not  sell. 
The  consequence  of  this  is,  they  must  be  re- 
duced to  poverty,  and  come  upon  their  friend  * 

'4  ■    " 


ELIAS    SMITH.  3/7 

for  a  living.  Supposing,  sir,  that  their  friends, 
to  help  them,  and  save  their  money ;  being 
influential  in  the  court,  should  carry  in  a 
petition,  praying  thvit  every  town,  parish,  &c. 
should  purchase  so  much  of  the  bad  rum,  as 
to  include  the  whole  cargo,  when  equally  di- 
vided among  the  people  of  the  common- 
wealth ;  or  pay  a  fine  not  exceeding  one  hun- 
dred cents,  nor  less  than  thirty,  to  be  given 
to  the  men  who  owned  the  rum  ;  would  not 
this  be  crowding  the  rum  upon  the  people  ; 
and  taking  money  from  them  by  force  and 
injustice  ?  "Yes,  said  he,  but  this  does  not 
apply  to  the  clergy  P  This.,  sk,  is  the  case  now 
in  Massachusetts.  In  the  year  1800,  a  law 
was  passed  in  Massachusetts,  requiring  eve- 
ry town,  parish,  precinct,  district,  and  other 
bodies  politic,  or  religious  societies,  to  have 
constant  preaching  ;  and  if  any  town,  &c. 
should  be  without  preaching  any  three  months 
out  of  six,  they  should  pay  a  fine  for  the 
first  offence,  of  a  sum  not  exceeding  sixty 
dollars,  nor  less  than  thirty,  and  for  every 
offence  after,  not  more  than  one  hundred  dol- 
lars, nor  less  than  sixty.  The  design  of  this 
law  is,  that  the  people  shall  buy  the  preach- 
ers, or  have  money  enough  taken  from  them 
by  the  court,  to  support  the  men  they  do  not 
want. 

After  hearing  this,  he  observed  that  he  did 
not  know  there  was  such  a  law  in  force.  He 
never  asked  for  any  more  proof;  aud  so  the 
matter  ended  at  that  time. 

Hh  2 


378  LIFE    OT 

In  this  place,  I  take  occasion  to  speak  of 
the  christian  conference,  which  ahout  this 
time  disappeared.  Some  of  the  preachers 
wertl  to  the  Meredith  association,  and  in  be- 
half of  the  others,  told  them  tliGy  did  not 
mean  to  leave  the  association.  One  of  them 
joined  the  Warren  association  contrary  to 
what  he  had  agreed,  and  not  long  after,  was 
disowned  by  them  ;  and  now  lives  a  private 
life.  Another  returned  to  Calvinism.  One 
of  them  told  me  he  should  be  glad  to  be  as 
free  as  Elder  Jones  and  I  were  ;  but,  said  he, 
I  have  a  large  family,  and  do  not  know  how 
they  would  be  supported.  [At  that  time  he 
and  another  received  their  support  from  the 
town.]  My  reply  to  him  was  this  :  "  It  is 
much  easier  to  trust  the  town  than  to  trust 
the  Lord  ;  for  he  will  not  support  one  minis- 
ter unless  he  is  a  laborer ;  and  your  town 
is  willing  to  support  two  lazy  ministers" 
So  we  ended  the  matter.  All  excepting  my 
brother  and  one  or  two  more,  forsook  me 
and  fled. 

Having  this  year,  seen  the  glorious  work 
of  God  in  the  south  part  of  Massachusetts, 
and  the  increase  of  churches,  and  brethren  in 
various  parts  of  the  country,  in  I^ovember, 
1807,  I  returned  home  to  write  the  remainder 
of  the  sermons  on  the  prophecies,  and  pub- 
lish the  same  to  the  world.  I  wrote  twenty- 
two  sermons,  beginning  with  the  Jews  in 
Egypt,  and  at  Mount  SiAai ;  noticed  the  new 
covenant  that  will  be  made  with  them  hereaf- 
ter j  the  prophecies  which  speak  Of  their  re- 


ELIAS    SMITH.  ?7& 

lurn  ;  described  the  land  of  Canaan  ;  the 
coming  of  Christ  to  reign  on  the  earth  one 
thousand  years  ;  described  his  kingdom  at 
that  time  ;  the  city  and  house  that  should  be 
built  in  the  thousand  years  ;  noticed  the 
gathering  of  all  nations  at  Jerusalem,  in  the 
thousand  years  of  Christ's  reign  on  earth  ; 
described  the  meaning  of  satan's  being  loosed 
for  a  little  season  :  the  last  judgment  and 
destruction  of  the  wicked  ;  gave  a  descrip- 
tion of  the  new  heavens  and  earth,  wrhich 
should  appear  after  the  first  is  destroyed, 
with  the  glory  of  the  new  Jerusalem  ;  closed 
the  whole  with  a  description  of  the  kingdom 
Christ  wrould  in  the  end  give  up,  and  that  in 
which  he  would  reign  forever. 

If  ever  any  mortal  enjoyed  an  earnest  of 
future  glory  on  earth,  I  believe  that  enjoy- 
ment was  mine  while  writing  the  twenty-two 
sermons  on  the  prophecies.  In  March,  1808, 
they  were  printed,  and  scattered  in  various 
directions,  among  my  brethren,  friends  and 
enemies. 

CHAPTER  XXXVni. 

la  this  year,  1808,  my  friends  increased, 
and  in  many  places  my  enemies  were  con- 
founded, while  they  saw  how  many  were 
converted  to  God  in  almost  every  place  where 
my  brethren  travelled  with  me  to  preach  the 
gospel.  In  1807,  and  1808,  there  was  the 
greatest  reformation  in  Portsmouth  that  had 
ever  been,     At  one  time  I  preached  six  even- 


380  LIFE    OF 

ings  in  each  week,  for  twelve  weeks,  except- 
ing two  or  three  evenings  I  was  out  of  the 
town. 

One  thing  took  place,  which  I  think  proper 
to  mention  here.  Many  good  people  were 
greatly  straitened  in  their  own  minds  while 
they  considered  me  in  great  errors,  and  yet 
blest  of  God,  in  the  conversion  of  sinners 
from  the  errors  of  their  ways.  Some  would 
say,  "  It  is  true  the  man  is  blest  5n  preaching  ; 
but  God  does  not  bless  his  errors."  Soirre 
considered  me  deranged,  or  "  cracked 
brained,"  as  they  termed  it.  At  that  time, 
it  was  a  strange  thing  for  a  man  to  profess  re- 
ligion, and  be  neither  a  churchman,  presby- 
terian,  congregationalist,  baptist,  methodist, 
qwnkef-i  nor  universalist.  To  be  only  a 
christian  and  minister  of  Christ,  without 
any  name  of  the  beast,  which  is  666,  was 
a  new  thing  to  people  m  general.  The  sound 
of  this  was  heard  afar  off,  and  in  Philadel- 
phia, one  of  the  printers  published  me  under 
the  character  of  the  "exclusive  christian." 

A  religious  woman  ;n  Vermont,  among 
the  many,  was  much  troubled,  especially  af- 
ter reading  the  five  sermons  on  the  end  of  the 
wicked.  While  her  mind  was  much  exer- 
cised upon  these  things,  she  dreamed  one 
night  that  an  angel  came  to  her,  and  she  asked 
him  what  time  it  was  with  the  church.  He 
said,  go  with  me,  and  I  will  tell  you.  She 
immediately  followed  him,  and  they  soon 
came  to  an  high  wall.  He  shewed  her  a 
small   kolc  through  the  wall,  and  told   her 


ELTAS    SMITH.  381 

that  was  faith,  and  she  must  go  through  it. 
With  difficulty  she  got  through  the  wall,  and 
found  herself  in  a  most  beautiful  garden, 
full  of  flowers  and  fruit.  He  ordered  her  to 
take  a  seat  under  the  shadow  of  a  tree,  gave 
her  a  book  to  read,  told  her,  when  she  under- 
stood that,  he  would  answer  her  questum, 
and  then  left  her.  When  she  had  read  it 
through  he  returned  ;  but  she  told  him  she 
did  not  understand  it  ;  he  left  her  again,  and 
she  read  it  through  again,  without  understand- 
ing it.  He  returned  again,  and  told  her  she 
must  read  till  she  understood  what  the  book 
meant.  * 

The  third  time  she  read  it  through,  the 
meaning  was  plain  to  her  understanding. 
He  then  told  her  to  look  up.  She  obeyed, 
and  saw  a  star  over  her  head.  He  said, 
"  Do  you  see  that  star."  Yes.  "  That  star, 
said  he,  is  one  of  the  ministers  of  Christ, 
risen  to  shine  in  this  gospel  day.*1  While 
she  continued  looking  at  the  star,  and  won- 
dering that  it  should  be  so  easily  seen  in  the 
day  time,  she  soon  after  saw  another  star 
advancing  towards  the  first.  Soon  after 
she  saw  several  stars  gathering  from  different 
directions,  apparently  at  war  with   the  first 

r  she  saw.  These  stars  appeared  to  come 
against  the  star  with  violence,  and  then  with- 
draw ;  while  the  first  star  she  saw  remained 
uumored  amicist  all  this  opposition.  After 
awhile  the  first  star  moved  slowly  to- 
wards the  so  tth  west ;  soon  one  of  the  other 
stars  moved  with  it,  and  after  awhile    she 


333  LIFE    OF 

saw  them  all  moving  on  together  id  one  di- 
reciion,  as  if  in  the  greatest  harmony,  r.nd 
shining  as  they  moved. 

The  woman  asked  the  angel  in  her  dream 
what  these  stars  meant.  He  replied,  "  the 
other  stars  are  also  ministers  of  Christ,  and 
as  they  appeared  to  fight  the  first  star  you 
saw,  so  these  ministers  wrill  fight  that  one  ; 
but  he  will  remain  unmoved  amidst  all  their 
opposition,  knowing  be  shall  prosper.  As- 
you  saw  first  one,  and  at  last  the  whole  go 
with  him  ;  so  these  ministers  of  Christ  will 
not  only  eease  their  opposition,  but  will  unite 
with  him,  and  so  the  gospel  will  have  a 
glorious  spread  in  the  world."  This  I  tell 
as  a  dream,  and  as  it  was  told  me  by  a  person 
who  had  it  from  the  one  who  had  the  dream, 
as  near  as  my  memory  serves.  There  are 
three  kinds  of  dreams  mentioned  in  the  scrip- 
tures. 1.  Vain  ones.  2.  Such  as  come 
through  the  multitude  of  business.  3.  Such 
as  are  by  the  spirit  of  God.  Whenever  I 
see  the  truth  of  a  dream,  I  am  bound  to  be- 
lieve it ;  and  what  a  person  says  when  awake, 
is  not  to  be  credited,  unless  we  have  proof 
of  the  truth  of  what  he  savs. 

The  truth  of  this  dream  I  have  seen,  and 
do  see.  Many  who  in  the  year  180S,  Mere 
opposed  to  the  doctrine  advanced,  have  now 
not  only  ceased  to  oppose,  but  are  actually 
fellow-laborers,  and  since  that  time,  the  sim- 
ple gospel  of  Christ,  without  the  command- 
ments and  doctrines  of  men  has  spread  intc 
the  south  and  icest.  much  more  than  in  any 


ELIAS    SMITH.  o&3 

other  direction  ;  and  to  a  much  greater  de- 
gree, than  was  ever  before  known. 

One  law  religion  man,  ahoutthat  time,  said  to 
me,  "  Smith,  you  are  like  the  d$vil,walking  to 
and  fro  upon  the  earth."  My  reply  was  this, 
W  No  sir,  I  am  one  of  those  mentioned  in 
Daniel  xii.  4,  that  should  run  to  and  fro,  to 
increase  knowledge.  The  devil  and  his  chil- 
dren, walk,  but  the  Lords  servants  run,  and 
by  this  means  the  devil  and  his  servants  are 
always  behind." 

In  the  spring  of  1808,  by  the  request  of 
several  republicans,  I  delivered  a  discourse 
i*  our  meeting  house,  upon  liberty  and  gov- 
ernment, which  was  afterwards  published  in 
the  Herald  of  Gospel  Liberty,  to  the  grief  of 
the  friends  of  monarchy  religion. 

On  the  first  day  of  September,  1808,  the 
first  number  of  the  Herald  was  published  in 
Portsmouth,  N.  H.  which,  perhaps,  was  the 
first  religious  newspaper  ever  published. 
Only  two  hundred  and  seventy-four  subscrib- 
ers were  obtained.  In  Sept.  1815,  they  had 
increased  to  fifteen  hundred. 

In  the  first  number,  notice  was  given  that 
on  the  seventh  day  of  the  month,  Peter  Young, 
of  York,  eight  l^iiles  from  Portsmouth,  was 
to  be  ordained.  This  meeting  1  attended, 
and  spake  from  these  words  :  Matth.  x.  16, 
"  Behold,  I  send  you  forth  as  sheep  in  the 
midst  of  wolves  ;  be  ye,  therefore  wise  as 
serpents,  and  harmless  as  doves."  When  I 
came  to  contrast  man-made  ministers,  with 
the  ministers   of  Christ,    as   wolves  ia  the 


S84  life  or 

midst  of  sheep,  instead  of  sheep  in  the  midst 
of  wolves,  and  shew  that  they  were  as  wise 
as  doves  and  harmless  as  serpents,  it  made 
a  cracking  among  the  wooden  fences.  The 
parish  priest  people  were  so  enraged  at  me, 
that  they  threw  down  the  w  all,  made  noises, 
and  caused  much  disturbance  among  the 
people.  After  meeting,  two  men  attempted 
to  upset  my  carriage  while  passing  by  them  ; 
but  driving  very  fast,  caused  them  to  break 
their  hold,  and  so  I  escaped  out  of  their 
hands,  and  arrived  safe  in  Portsmouth,  with- 
out receiving  any  injury  from  them. 
f  That  week,  a  general  meeting  of  the  christian 
Elders  and  brethren  was  appointed  at  Hamp- 
ton, fifteen  miles  south  of  Portsmouth,  on  the 
common.  Some  of  the  parish  religion  peo- 
ple were  determined  to  prevent  the  design  of 
the  meeting.  Several  of  the  people  came 
with  their  guns,  to  drive  the  ministers  and 
people  from  the  common.  Seeing  the  rioters 
determined  to  disturb  them  ;  the  Elders,  John 
Rand,  and  Frederick  Plumer,  told  the  peo- 
ple the  meeling  would  be  held  in  a  field  at 
some  distance,  which  the  owner  had  given 
them  leave  to  meet  in.  All  who  came  to  hear, 
went  immediately  to  the  place  appointed,  and 
united  in  prayer  and  praise  to  Giod. 

As  soon  as  the  rioters  found  the  people 
had  gone  to  the  field,  they  followed  them  ; 
and  when  they  were  opposite  of  the  field, 
they  begun  with  hooting,  firing  guns,  &c.  Af- 
ter proceeding  a  few  rods,  they  marched  back, 
and  began  their  pow  wow  ;  firing  their  gun* 


ELIAS    SMITH.  3S5 

Tigain.  The  man  who  had  Rtgaged  the  field, 
forbid  any  person  coming  in  to  make  disturb- 
ance. Just  after  passing  the  assembly,  they 
broke  their  ranks,  and  rushed  into  that  and 
the  adjoining  field,  firing  their  guns,  throw- 
ing potatoes  and  dirt  at  the  preachers,  and 
upsttt  the  place  where  they  stood  to  preach, 
while  they  were  in  it ;  one  of  them  was  struck 
with  a  gun ;  one  of  the  preachers  was  pulled 
from  his  seat,  after  he  had  left  his  first  seat. 
It  was  supposed  that  more  than  one  hundred 
guns  were  fired  •  and  that  the  rioters  were 
fifty  or  sixty  in  number.     Several  of  them  in 

age,  resembled  the  "silver  greys''  of . 

When  they  were  asked  the  occasion  of  such 
violence,  they  answered,  that  they  were  peace- 
able people,  and  meant  to  defend  their  reli- 
gion and  their  minister.  Knowing  that  the 
main  vengeance  was  aimed  at  Bie,  I  thought 
it  duty  to  retire,  soon  after  they  entered  the 
field. 

The  other  Elders  and  people,  left  the  field 
in  about  one  hour  after  the  rioters  came  in  to 
disturb.  Soon  after  this,  they  came  up  to 
the  house  where  I  was,  and  stood  before  it. 
My  horse  was  harnessed  at  the  back  door, 
ami  I  went  down  the  back  stairs,  out  at  the 
baek  side  of  the  house  ;  got  into  my  carriage 
with  a  brother,  and  rode  away  before  they 
knew  I  was  gone  ;  glad  to  escape  through  the 
back  door  ;  and  through  the  good  hand  of  God 
upon  me,  arrived  safe  at  Portsmouth.  Not- 
withstanding all  the  tumult,  no  one  was  injur- 
ed in  the  least  j  though  some  had  their  clothes 

Ii 


386  LIFE   OF 

scorched  with  the  powder.  The  leaders  vrom 
prosecuted  and  found  rioters  ;  our  brethren 
settled  it  with  them  on  merciful  terras,  and 
they  ever  after  let  our  meetings  be  attended 
undisturbed.  About  fifteen  months  after,  I 
vient  and  preached  within  a  few  rods  of  the 
field,  from  these  words  :  Deut.  xxxiii.  29, 
u  Happy  art  thou,  O  Israel ;  who  is  like  un. 
to  thee,  O  people  saved  by  the  Lord  ;  the 
shieid  of  thy  help,  and  who  is  the  sword  of 
Xij  excellency  !  and  thine  enemies  shall  be 
found  liars  unto  thee,  and  thou  shalt  tread 
upon  their  high  places."  This  was  a  glori- 
ous and  heavenly  meeting  ;  as  several  who 
attended  were  enemies  to  God,  at  the  time 
we  were  so  abused ;  and  before  this  meeting 
they  became  friends  through  Christ,  by  whom 
they  were  made  nigh  unto  God. 

In  November  of  1808,  I  first  heard  of  a 
people  in  Pennsylvania,  Virginia,  Kentucky, 
and  other  places  at  the  South  and  West,  w  ho 
considered  themselves  christians,  without  the 
addition  of  any  sectarian  name.  This  great- 
ly revived  my  mind,  as  before  that  I  did  not 
know  that  there  Mere  any  such  people  on 
earth,  excepting  in  the  New-England  states. 
The  Herald,  by  different  means,  was  carried 
into  different  parts  of  the  United  States,  and 
in  consequence  of  this,  in  a  few  years,  I  be- 
came acquainted  with  christians  in  almost 
every  state  in  the  union.  At  this  time,  God 
raised  up  several  young  men  to  preach  the 
gospel,  and  some  from  the  free-will  baptists, 
und  other  denominations,  carme  and  united 
vvith  us,  to  spread  the  name  of  Christ  only. 


SLlAS    SMITH.  38/' 

In  this  year.  I  travelled  as  far  cast  as 
Wiscasset,  and  the  towns  around,  and  found 
ji  great  door  open  to  preach  a  free  gospel. 
Many  believed,  and  rejoiced  in  the  hope  of 
immortality. 

When  I  first  began  to  publish  my  thoughts 
in  books,  the  printers  and  booksellers, 
were  willing  to  print  and  sell  them  ;  bat  at 
this  time,  many  were  afraid  to  print  them, 
or  keep  them  in  their  stores.  Two  men 
agreed  to  print  and  sell  whatever  I  brought 
them  ;  but  when  I  proved  their  denomi- 
nation and  doctrine  unscriptura!,  they  fell 
from  their  agreement ;  and  sent  my  books 
away  from  their  store,  which  was  a  great 
damage  to  me,  and  disgrace  to  them.  Being 
treated  in  this  manner,  I  went  to  Mr.  Henry 
Ranlet,  of  Exeter,  and  told  him  how  I  was 
treated,  by  the  printers,  aud  booksellers  ;  and 
wished  to  know  if  he  was  a  man  of  courage. 
He  observed  that  printing  and  bookselling 
was  the  business  he  followed  for  a  living  ; 
that  he  would  print  any  thing  I  brought  him, 
and  that  he  was  not  accountable,  where  the 
author's  name  was  known.  The  greater  part 
of  my  printing  from  that  day,  to  this,  has 
been  done  in  that  office. 

In  the  year  1809,  I  was  forty  years  old, 
and  on  that  day,  delivered  a  discourse,  from 
Deut.  viii.  4,  "And  thou  shalt  remember  all 
the  way  the  Lord  thy  God  led  thee,  these 
forty  years  in  the  wilderness."  >V  hen  young, 
I  often  heard  of  people  forty  years  old  :  such, 
1  then  supposed  were  old  people  ;  but  wh 
that  time  came,  old  age  was  still  at  a  distance. 


888  LIFE    0? 

as  all  others  have  said  before  me.  la  the 
mouth  of  June,  the  principal  people  in  the 
county  of  Bristol,  Mass.  requested  ine  to  de- 
liver a  discourse  on  Taunton  Green,  the 
fourth  of  Jul*  ;  the  anniversary  of  the  "Amer- 
ican independence?*  This  request  I  com- 
plied with,  and  delivered  a  sermon,  from 
Psalm  cvii.  48,  "  Whoso  is  wise  and  will 
observe  these  things,  even  they  shall  under- 
stand  the  loving  kindness  of  the  Lord." 

Two  particulars  were  taken  up  : 

T.   The  things  for  the  wise  to  observe. 

II.  The  loving  kindness  of  the  Lord,  which 
the  icise  shall  understand,  iij  observing  these 
things. 

Eight  things  were  noticed  for  the  wise  to 
observe  : 

4.  The  tyrannical  power,  we  as  a  nation 
were  once  under.     3.  The  stand  this  nation 

de  against  it,  by  a  declaration  of  Gnr  inde- 
pendence from  that  power.  3.  The  victory 
which  was  obtained  over  that  cruel  and  un« 

t  power.  4.  The  government  which  was 
adopted  by  the  Americans,  after  being  deliv- 
ered from  a  foreign  despotic  yoke.  5.  The 
privileges  enjoyed  under  the  .  government  of 
their  own  choice.  6.  The  attempts  made  to 
overthrow  the  government  of  this  country. 
7.  Those  attempts  defeated.  8.  The  presi 
state  of  our  country,  under  a  republican  gov- 

iment,  as  it  respects  civil  and  religious 
liberty. 


ELIAS    SMITH.  380 

This  sermon  was  afterwards  printed,  and 
entitled  ;  u  The  loving  kindness  of  *>od  dis- 
played in  the  triumph  of  republicanism  in 
the  United  States."  It  went  through  two 
large  editions,  and  is  not  yet  forgotten  by  its 
friends  or  enemies. 


CHAPTER  XXXIX. 

In  November  of  this  year,  1809,  I  attend- 
ed the  free-will  baptist  yearly  meeting  in 
Crorhatn,  Maine,  and  on  my  way  home,  pro- 
posed to  preach  one  evening  in  Portland, 
Maine.  The  meeting  was  appointed  at  the 
house  of  William  Waterhou:  e.  A  consider- 
able number  attended,  and  the  next  day,  sev- 
eral wished  me  to  tarry  and  preach  in  the 
evening.  More  came  than  the  evening  be- 
fore ;  and  many  pressed  me  hard  to  tarry  and 
preach  the  next  Sunday  in  the  assembly-room. 
Seeing  the  attention  of  the  people,  I  stayed ; 
met  a  large  assembly,  preached  three  time*, 
and  was,  I  supposed,  ready  to  depart  on  the 
morrow.  The  next  day/they  urged  me  to 
«tay  another  week.  This  J^did,  and  found 
the  word  took  great  hold'df  the  minds  of 
many.  After  staying  two  Sundays,  I  return- 
ed to  Portsmouth,  sixty  miles  ;  stayed  one 
week,  and  returned  and  preached  there  seven 
'weeks  before  I  returned  to  Portsmouth  again. 
In  this  time,  five,  who  had  been  baptised  in 
Portsmouth,  came  together,  and  agreed  to 
consider  themselves  a   church,  according  to 

Ii  2 


390  LIFE    OF 

the  new-testament.  One  young  man  by  the 
name  of  Enoch  Hazeltine,  was  converted  and 
baptised  during  my  stay  of  seven  weeks,  and 
soon  after  several  more.  The  attention  was 
so  great,  and  the  call  for  preaching  there,  so 
urgent,  that  the  people  earnestly  requested  me 
to  carry  my  family  there,  if  it  was  only  for  a 
jihort  time.  Having  lived  in  Portsmouth 
seven  years,  and  two  months,  and  thinking 
some  other  person  might  do  more  good  there, 
I  consented  to  go,  and  in  February,  1810, 
carried  my  family,  and  the  little  all  I  had  to 
Portland.  I  then  had  five  children.  We 
liad  three  born  in  Portsmouth  ;  one  of  which 
died,  when  two  years  old. 

The  day  I  carried  my  family  from  Ports- 
mouth, I  went  from  home,  and  laid  a  founda- 
tion for  such  trouble,  as  to  that  day  we  had 
been  unacquainted  with.  While  in  ] Ports- 
mouth, I  had  paid  nearly  all  my  old  debts, 
and  had  gained  some  property  besides  ;  and 
had  for  seven  years  been  kindly  dealt  with 
by  the  Lord,  and  the  peop]e  in  Portsmouth, 
who  had  ever  been  ready  to  communicate  to 
our  needs.  The  people  in  Portland  were 
agreeable,  and  kind,  and  my  friends  there 
and  around,  soon  became  numerous  ;  but  I 
bad  gone  from  home,  and  never  felt  at  horn® 
until  I  returned  to  Portsmouth,  in  December, 
4814. 

In  the  spring,    several  of   my  friends  in 
Portland,  proposed  to  let  mc  have  money  to 
purchase    a    printing-office,     to  do  my   < 
printing.     I  purchased  one  at  Exeter,  s 


EIJAS    SMITH.  391 

hired  a  young  man  to  do  my  work  ;  but  not 
to  my  advantage.  They  meant  it  for  good, 
but  it  proved  a  source  of  vexation  till  I  got 
rid  of  it.  In  the  summer  of  1810,  I  travelled 
to  Saudy  river,  in  Maine,  and  in  various 
other  parts,  preaching  the  glorious  gospel  to 
thousands. 

This  summer,  Elder  Frederick  Plumer.v 
who  had  the  summer  and  winter  before,  been 
in  Virginia,  Pennsylvania,  and  New-York, 
came  to  see  me,  and  wished  me  to  visit  Phils  ■ 
delphia.  To  that  time,  I  had  never  been 
out  of  the  New-England  states.  In  Novem- 
ber, I  concluded  to  go  on  as  far  as  Philadel- 
phia, and  on  the  second  of  December,  sat 
out  from  Portland.  I  preached  in  different 
towns  as  far  as  Westerly,  R.  I.  On  the 
twenty-seventh  of  December,  1810,  I  arrived 
at  Philadelphia,  and  was  kindly  received  by 
John  Hunter,  Esq.  While  there,  1  wrote 
matter  for  my  paper,  and  sent  it  by  mail  to 
Portland.  I  tarried  in  Philadelphia,  till 
March  18,  1811. 

While  there,  John  Hunter,  and  others, 
wished  me  to  make  my  stand  there,  as  it  was 
a  central  part  of  the  United  States,  and  & 
place  where  a  correspondence  might  be  open- 
ed to  all  parts    of  the  country,  and    the  free 

spel  spread  in  every  direction.  Had  I 
been  able  to  prosecute  such  a  plan,  it  might 
have  done  well  ;  but  my  capital  was  not 
sufficient  for  such  an  undertaking.  This  I 
I  new  when  it  was  too  late.     From  the  en* 


382  LIFE    OF 

rouragement  received,  and  the  prospect  be- 
fore me,  I  agreed  to  return  in  six  weeks. 

From  Philadelphia  to  New-York,  I  went 
in  the  stage,  with  Timothy  Pickering,  a  very 
singular  man.  From  New- York,  went  down 
the  sound  to  Newport,  R.  I.  and  from  thence 
to  Portland  in  the  jtage,  and  arrived  there 
the  seventh  day  at  night,  and  was  kindly  re- 
ceived by  my  friends  in  that  place. 

As  it  is  my  intention,  to  publish  another 
volume,  in  a  future  day,  beginning  from  the 
time  of  leaving  Portsmouth  in  February,  1810, 
if  my  life  and  health  is  spared,  I  shall  now 
only  give  the  outlines  of  my  travels,  preach- 
ing and  sufferings  from  that  time  till  Jan- 
uary 1,  1816. 

In  the  last  of  April,  1811,  I  sat  out  from 
Portland,  in  company  with  Elder  John  Gray, 
for  Philadelphia,  to  be  there  by  the  time  ap- 
pointed when  I  left  the  city.  We  made  but 
little  stop,  until  we  came  to  Westerly,  R.  I. 
Here  we  tarried  certain  days.  It  so  happen- 
ed that  the  Elders  of  the  Groten  conference, 
that  had  been  so  enraged  with  me  a  few 
years  before,  had  at  that  time  appointed  a 
meeting  in  Westerly  to  shew  the  extent  of 
their  opposition.  Before  this,  they  had  tried 
to  set  Elder  Hix  against  me,  and  wished  only 
for  him  to  hate  me,  and  then  they  were  ready 
to  love  him. 

This  council  was  held,  May  15,  1811. 
About  one  year  before,  in  the  same  town,  the 
conference  had  cast  out  Elder  Hix,  and  eras- 
ed his  name  from  their  minutes,  for   holding 


fcLIAS    SMITH.  39-5 

■  owship  with  Elias   Smith,    whom    they 

med  an  excommunicated  member,  though 
they  never  undertook  to  prove  that  it  was  so. 
The  particulars  of  this  affair  will  be  given  in 
the  next  volume. 

From  Westerly  we  proceeded  on  our 
journey  to  Philadelphia.  In  July  my  print- 
ing-office was  brought  on,  and  the  eleventh 
day  of  August,  1811,  my  family  came  on  by 
water.  I  hired  an  house  in  Christian-street, 
and  gave  two  hundred  dollars  peryea.r  for  it. 
In  a  short  time  after  my  family  came  on,  I 
began  to  find  the  difference  between  the  ex- 
pence  of  a  family  in  New-England  and 
Philadelphia.  The  greatest  part  of  my 
property  was  in  the  hands  of  others,  and  be- 
fore three  months,  I  saw  times  when  my 
money  was  all  gone,  and  I  knew  not  where 
to  get  more.  The  people  where  I  preached 
did  but  little  for  me,  and  all  I  could  get  with 
my  work,  was  but  little.  \ly  family  wat 
discontented  and  unhappy  :  but  the  only  way 
left  us,  was  to  bear  it  and  earn  what  we 
could. 

In  October  after,  I  appointed  to  attend  a  gen- 
eral meeting  in  Caroline  county.  Virginia,  and 
out  in  a  carriage  with  Elder  Joseph 
Thomas,  who  agreed  to  carry  me.  there. 
When  within  about  twenty  mil^s  of  Balti- 
more, his  horse  failed,  arid  stopped  at  the 
foot  of  a  sand  hill.  We  waited  about  an 
hour  under  the  shadow  of  a  priscimmoa 
tree  for  him  to  recruit,  and  proceeded  oa 
slowly.     In  about  one  mile  we  came  to   a 


394  of    Lira* 

river,  which  we  were  obliged  to  ride  throngfiv 
The  water  was  about  three  feet  deep.  When 
in  the  middle  of  the  river,  the  horse  stopped, 
and  would  go  no  farther.  Elder  Thomas 
stepped  into  the  river,  and  led  his  horse  to 
the  shore.  I  then  took  my  trunk  on  my 
shoulder,  sat  out  on  foot,  and  walked  about 
half  a  mile  to  a  tavern ;  and  a  man  with  an 
empty  hack  carried  me  to  Baltimore  that  day, 
for  one  dollar  and  fifty  cents.  The  next  day  I 
went  to  Alexandria  in  the  stage,  and  there  hired 
an  horse  at  one  dollar  per  day,  rode  to  Chiles- 
burg,  about  eighty  miles,  and  put  up  with 
George  Phillips,  Esq.  father-in-law  to  Wil- 
liam Gruirey. 

From  there  I  rode  with  William  Guirey  to 
the  place  where  the  meeting  was  appointed  ; 
and  met  several  christian  preachers  ;  preached 
eight  times  from  Friday  afternoon  till  Mon- 
day forenoon,  to  many  who  attended.  The 
other  preachers  spake  about  as  many  times. 
This  was  an  heavenly  place  in  Christ  Jesus. 
After  the  meeting  1  returned  to  Alexandria, 
having  been  gone  tea  days  ;  and  from  there 
returned  te  Philadelphia  in  the  stage,  preach- 
ed there  and  in  the  towns  around  till  the 
next  spring. 

In  February,  1812.  I  began  to  write  my 
new-testament  dictionary,  having  obtained  a 
considerable  number  of  subscribers  for  the 
same.  In  March,  I  had  only  fifty  pages 
written.  About  this  time  my  printers  began 
upon  it,  and  I  wrote  for  them  constantly  for 
about  five  months,  and  in  August  itwiu 


ELIAS    SMITH.  395 

printed.  This  was  the  most  difficult  piece  I 
ever  undertook  to  write.  Eleven  hundred 
.and  eight  words  were  written  upon  ;  and 
generally  the  subject  given  with  the  word, 
besides  the  meaning  of  the  word  used  to  ex- 
press the  subject.  I  wrote  and  published 
the  Herald  at  the  same  time.  With  all  this 
Iabor>  and  preaching  several  times  in  each 
week,  I  was  much  reduced,  and  at  last  al- 
most unfitted  for  business. 

In  June,  the  christian  brethren  in  Shanan- 
doah  county,  Virginia,  about  one  hundred 
miles  west  of  Washington  City,  wrote,  re- 
questing me  to  visit  them  in  August,  to 
preach  the  gospel  among  them.  In  that 
month,  as  soon  as  my  dictionary  was  done, 
I  sat  out,  and  having  my  meetings  all  ap- 
pointed, rode  in  the  stage  to  Washington, 
and  from  there  on  an  horse.  I  was  gone 
from  Philadelphia,  twenty-four  days,  in 
which  time  I  rode  six  hundred  miles;  preach- 
ed twenty  eight  times,  and  returned  home. 
While  in  Shanandoah,  I  saw  in  the  Herald, 
a  general  meeting  notified  in  Woodstock  the 
last  of  September,  which  was  a  few  weeks 
from  that  time.  This  meeting  I  had  agreed 
to  attend,  and  was  then  seven  hundred  miles 
from  Woodstock.  I  tamed  in  Philadelphia 
ten  days,  and  sat  out  with  an  horse  aud  car- 
riage for  New-England.  I  was  nine  days 
on  my  passage  from  Philadelphia  to  Provi- 
dence. 

The  tenth  day,  Saturday,  rode  to  Bristol  ; 
preached  there  on  Sunday  j  Monday  rode  to 


S§5  LIFE    OF 

Providence  ;  Tuesday  on  towards  Wood- 
stock ;  Friday  arrived  at  Windsor,  with  the 
horse  I  rode  from  Virginia.  Saturday  morn- 
ing rode  to  Woodstock  court-house,  and  ar- 
rived there  ten  minutes  before  the  time  ap- 
pointed for  the  meeting  to  begin.  After 
spending  some  time  i»  Yermont,.New-Hainp- 
shire,  Massachusetts,  and  Rhode-Island  ;  I 
left  my  horse  and  carriage  at  Westerly, 
It.  I.  took  the  stage  at  New-London,  Conn. 
i>n  Saturday  morning.  Sunday  morning  ate 
my  breakfast  in  New-York.  Monday  rode 
from  there  to  Philadelphia,  and  arrived  at 
nine  o'clock,  December  4, 1842.  From  August 
to  December,  I  had  rode  about  two  thousand 
miles,  and  preached  often  through  the  whole 
tour.  Through  all  this,  the  Lord  preserved 
me,  continued  my  health,  and  blest  my  feeble 
endeavors  to  spread  the  knowledge  of  his 
jglory  in  the  world. 

From  January,  1813,  to  April,  I  had  con- 
tinued scenes  of  trouble  to  pass  through.  My 
eldest  daughter,  and  wife  were  both  sick,  ©ne 
or  the  other,  through  the  winter.  I  found  my 
property  was  considerably  gone,  and  that  I 
owed  about  two  thousand  dollars,  and  saw 
but  little  prospect  of  paying  soon.  The  man 
who  at  first  appeared  my  friend,  turned  against 
xne.  Him  I  owed  eight  hundred  and  forty- 
four  dollars.  He  called  for  his  pay  ;  another 
man  gave  his  note,  and  bought  my  printing- 
office,  and  then  gave  me  a  lease  of  it  for  two 
years  ;  and  for  the  use  of  it,  paid  him  the 


ELIAS    SMITH.  397 

interest  of  the  money,  till  the  lease  was  out, 
and  then  he  took  it. 

In  April  of  that  year,  I  concluded  the  only 
way  left  for  me  to  do  was,  to  go  on  to  Xevr- 
England,  and  collect  what  I  could  that  was 
due  me  there.  My  wife  concluded  to  go  on 
with  me  ;  but  I  was  so  reduced,  that  the  only 
wray  we  got  on  to  Westerly,  to  my  horse  and 
carriage,  was  this  :  Some  friends  in  Bristol, 
R.  I.  hired  fifty  dollars,  and  sent  it  on,  and 
this  I  paid  afterwards.  In  four  months,  we 
travelled  to  almost  all  the  places  where  we 
had  ever  been,  from  the  time  we  were  marri- 
ed till  we  went  to  Philadelphia.  In  August 
my  wife  returned  home,  with  Elder  Plumer, 
and  I  tarried,  not  having  accomplished  my 
business  so  as  to  be  able  to  return. 

My  friends  gave  me  between  three  and 
four  huudred  dollars,  to  help  me  out  of  my 
difficulty.  After  I  left  Philadelphia,  my 
enemies  exerted  themselves  to  the  uttermost 
to  ruin  my  character,  and  prevent  my  useful- 
ness. What  they  published,  was  examined 
and  proved  false,  and  their  violent  dealings 
came  down  upon  their  own  heads.  In  addi- 
tion to  all  this,  I  had  lost  almost  all  my  pro- 
perty, and  what  I  had  was  in  such  a  scaifer- 
ed  situation,  that  it  was  impossible  to  collect 
it  very  fast,  and  my  family  expences  ia  Phi- 
ladelphia were  constantly  increasing.  My 
situation  looked  tft  me  distressing,  and  was 
continually  growing  worse.  All  this  was 
but  small  compared  to  what  I  afterwai 
passed  through. 

Kk 


398,  life  OP 

In  November  of  that  year,  I  was  taken  sick,  with  the  typhus 
fever,  about  the  time  I  calculated  to  return  home.  I  was  at 
brother  Joseph  Mason's,  in  Swai  zey.  He,  his  wife,  and  family 
did  all  in  their  power  for  my  help  ;  and  had  I  been  their  own 
child  they  could  not  have  shewn  more  kindness.  The  Lord 
reward  them  an  hundred  fold. 

In  this  sickness  I  was  brought  to    the  sides  of  the  grave; 
and  for  several   days,  Dr.  Winslow,  who  attended    me,  said  it 
was  a  matter  of  doubt  with  him,  whether  I  should  live  or  die. 
The'doctor  understood  the  nature  of  the  disease,  and  the  medi- 
cine  used   was  blest  tc  my  recovery.    In  three  weeks,  I  was 
able  to  go  on  my  journey.     After  being"   able  to  ride,  my  mind 
was  unsettled  as  to  what  was  duty.     Not  being  strong  enough 
tip  journey  to  Philadelphia,  I  concluded  to  go  as  far  as  Ports- 
mouth ;  and  as  soon  as  my  health  would  allow,  visit  my  family. 
My  only  intention  in  going  to  Portsmouth   was,   to  see  my 
friends,  and  tarry  till  ready  to  go  on  to  the  south.     In  a  few 
•  days,  I  was  like  a  man  who  had  been  lost  ;  so  that  every  thing1 
I  wrong  to  him,  until  he  came  to  a  certain  place.     My 
mind  was  settled  that  Portsmouth  was  the  place  to  carry  my 
family.     I    wrote  on   to   my   wife   to   be  ready  to   come  on  in 
February.       I  engaged    a    four   wheel   carriage,  purchased 
another  horse,  and  calculated  to   set  out,  s%   as  to  he  in  Ports- 
b    wiih  my   family   in   March.     Several  things  prevented 
my   selling  out  so   soon  as   I  at  first  contemplated.     On  the 
T-.vent}  -seventh    of    February,  I  received  a  letter  from  Elder 
Jl  Plumer,  that  my  second  daughter,  and  my  wife  were  both 
sick  of  a  typhus  fever.     He  stated  ihat   my  wife  was  taken  the 
Sunday   night    before,  and  he   had  but  hltle  hope  of  her  life. 
My  daughter,  he  stated,  was  not  considered  dangerous.     This 
news  brought  a  grievous    weight  on  my  mind  ;  as  I  expected 
i"n-m  what  lie    wiote,    that    she   would   die.     I  waned  till  the 
next  Friday,  before   another  letter  came.     That  informed  me 
that  my  daughter  was  better,  and  that  my  wife   died  on  Sun- 
r.i.g,  twenty-seventh  of  February,  eighteen  hundred 
n.     My  mind,  was  in  a  small  measure,  prepared  to 
meet  the  tidings,   though  hut  little  prepared  to  bear  the  loss. 
onetime  I  thought  my  mind  would  sink  under  the  addi- 
tional trouble   which   this. brought  me  into  ;  and  from   which 
no  w-:y  for  deliverance*.    I  was  left  with  six  children. 
!v  was   married,  the  others  young,  and  strangers  in  a 
r<  land.  % 

On  Saturday,   March  ith,  I  sat  out  with  my  carriage,  deter* 
reach  Philadelphia  soon.     Afte    tiding 
to  "J  ai  -  amc  out  of  the-t  : 

ry,  the  travelling1  was  so  bad, that  :- 
rd  to  I  _(•,  and  go  a  few  miles  in  the 

i  re  well  taken  care  of,    1  delayed  the 


ELIAS    SMITH.  399 

last  of  April,  and  then  went  on,  determining  to  bring  my 
children  to  Portsmouth. 

After  my  arrival  in  Philadelphia,  my  second  daughter  was 
married  there,  and  as  the  New-England  states  were  much  dis- 
tressed by  the  British,  my  friends  advised  me  to  leave  my 
three  little  children  there  till  September.  This  I  did,  sold  my 
horse,  and  the  three  last  days  in  June,  went  from  Piladelphia 
to  Providence,  R.  I.  aad  though  almost  always  in  company  ; 
yet  continually  alone. 

In  the  latter  part  of  the  year  eighteen  hundred  and  fourteen, 
i  was  married  to  Rachel  Thurber,  daughter  of  Samuel 
Thurber,  Esq,  of  Providence,  Rhode-Island.  In  her  I  have 
obtained  favor  of  the  Lord,  and  my  little  children  a  mother 
whom  they  love  and  esteem. 

This  year,  a  baptist  minister,  by  the  name  of  David  Bene- 
dict, of  Pautucket,  R.  1.  undertook  to  publish  what  he  called, 
an  history  of  the  baptists,  in  America.  As  it  stands  in  my  mind, 
lie,  to  do  all  in  his  power,  to  fix  on  me  a  lasting  reproach,  at 
least  among  the  baptists,  to  the  latest  generation,  wrote  the 
following,  and  printed  it,  to  send  into  the  world  as  truth. 

"Mr.  Elias  Smith,  formerly  a  preacher  of  good  repute  in 
the  Warren  association,  has,  within  a  few  years  past,  formed 
a  party  of  considerable  extent  in  different  States,  which  are 
sometimes  called  Smithites,  but  more  generally  Christians, 
which  last  same  their  founder  seems  peculiarly  solicitous  of 
maintaining.  Mr.  Smith  is  a  man  of  popular  talents,  but 
unusually  changeable  in  bis  religious  creed.  He  has  propa- 
gated, at  different  times,  Calvinism,  uuiversalism,  arminianisw^ 
aria?ii$m,  socinianism,  and  other  isms  too  numerous  to  men- 
tion. He  has  also  advanced  the  doctrine  of  the  annihilation  of 
the  wicked  after  death.  He  professes  to  explode  all  creeds 
and  confessions,  and  denominates  himself  and  followers,  with 
a  peculiar  emphasis,  Christians.  He  has  published  a  multi- 
tude of  books  to  defend  his  opinions,  or  rather  to  oppose  those 
of  all  others.  Many  have  became  his  disciples,  of  whom  some 
believe  more  and  some  less  of  his  changeable  opinions.  The 
large  church  in  Dartmouth,  Massachusetts,  consisiin^  of  about 
six  hundred  members,  lias  been  dropped  from  die  Groton 
conference,  on  account  of  their  adhering  to  this  singula?  man. 
A  number  of  other  churches  of  different  associations  have 
been  shaken  and  diminished,  by  the  too  successful  exertions 
of  him  and  his  associates.  Many,  doubtless,  have  fallen  in- 
to his  train,  who,  with  better  leaders  or  loss  leading,  would 
have  acted  a  more  becoming  pa»'t.  Among  the  free-will  bap- 
tists, Mr.  Smith  was,  in  many  places,  very  cofciiallv  received  ; 
for  he  is  as  strenuous  as  ever  for  believers'  baptism,  although 
he  is  constantly  belaboring  the  baptists,  both  from  the  pulpit 
and  press.  But  the  free-will  brethren,  finding  him  expert  at 
-beating  calvin^m,  were  cunbiuous  of  placing  him  ar 


400  LIFE    OF 

the*  champions  of  their  cause.  He  was  the  means  of  introduc- 
ing some  innovations  amongst  them,  both  as  it  respects  doc- 
trine and  discipline  ;  but  whether  they  still  listen  to  his  in- 
structions, I  have  not  learnt.  Mr.  Smith  has  been  a  few  years 
in  Philadelphia,  where  he  founded  a  small  church,  which  has 
lately  published  a  pamphlet,  containing  a  number  of  very  se- 
vere strictures  upon  his  conduct  ;  and  he  is  now  about  settling 
again  in  New-England."—  [See  Benedict's  Bop.  Hist. page 411.] 
To  speak  the  most  favorable  of  this  piece,  is  to  call  it  the 
fruits  of  ignorance  or  partiality.  Several  statements  here  are 
false,  and  prove  the  writer  a  sectarian  rather  than  an  historian. 

1.  1  am  not  the  founder*  of  a  party  called  Smithites  or  Chris- 
tians. Christians  are  mentioned  in  the  new-testament,  and 
Christ  their  founder.  This  I  have  always  declared,  and  this  all 
my  brethren  believe. 

2.  I  am  not  so  very  strenuous  for  long  /,  nor  short  r,  in  the 
word  christian.  It  is  the  follower  of  Christ  I  contend  for 
and  not  the  particular  manner  of  pronouncing  i. 

3.  I  have  never  been  so  "  unusually  changeable"  in  my  reli- 
gious creed.  Through  the  influence  of  others,  in  the  days  of 
my  ignorance,  I  embraced  Calvinism,  and  when  I  understood 
the  extent  of  it,  universalism  was  at  the  end.  As  to  propagat- 
ing arminianism,  arianism,  socinianism,  and  other  isms,  too  nu- 
merous to  mention,  it  was  never  done  by  me,  and  I  shall  yet 
put  him  to  prove  it,  or  abide  the  consequences.  There  is  no 
man  can  prove  that  I  ever  embraced  any  sectarian  trfcctrines, 
since  I  left  all  their  creeds  t  ncl  systems,  in  the  year  1814. 

4.  He  declares  1  have  advanced  the  doctrine  of  the  annihila- 
tion of  the  wicked  after  death.  This  is  another  falsehood;  the 
word  nor  doctvine  of  annihilation  is  not  in  any  book  written  by 
me.  Mr.  Benedict  would  by  this,  have  people  believe,  that  I 
advance,  that  when  the  wicked  die,  thai  is  their  end  ;  but  my 
bible  does  not  read  so,  nor  did  I  ever  so  preach  or  write.  The 
wicked  are  reserved  unto  the  day  of  judgment  to  be  punished  ; 
and  all  in  their  graves  will  hear  the  voice  of  the  Son  of  God, 
and  come  forth  ;  they  that  have  done  evil  to  the  resurrection 
of  damnation.  There  the  wicked  will  be  punished  with  ever- 
lasting destruction  ;  this  will  be  their  end.  "  Whose  end  i* 
destruction." 

5.  The  church  gathered  in  Philadelphia,  in  the  time  of  my 
residence  there,  never  wrote  against  me  ;  but  in  my  favor. 
Those  who  Wi  ote  against  me,  were  a  body  politic,  who  were 
incorporated  some  time  before. 

Mr.  Benedict  knew  I  was  in  good  repute  among  the  baptists, 
before  the  time  of  leaving  them,  and  he  also  knew  that  my 
leaving  them  was  the  only  cause  of  having  no  reputation  among 
them,  when  he  wrote  this  piece  of  misrepresentation. 

As  to  what  he  says  of  the  shaking1  among  the  baptist  churci- 
♦$,  and  their  diminution,  it  is  true  ;  for  many  sec  the  iniquity 


ELIAS    SMITH.  431 

which  attends  this  anti-christian  combination,  and  leave  it  for 
the  government  of  Christ.  So  much  of  Mr.  Benedict's  piece 
now,  and  the  remainder,  after  conversing1  with  him,  in  the 
nexi  volume.  I  hope  not  to  have  occasion  to  apply  this  say- 
ing- to  Mr.  B.  "  Thine  enemies  shall  be  found  liars  unto  thee" 

The  last  of  September,  in  this  year,  I  attended  a  general 
meeting  in  Danville,  Vt.  From  there  rode  to  Woodstock.  In 
October,  went  to  Bailstewn,  Milton,  Gallaway,  Charleston,  on 
the  Mohawk  River,  Schenectady,  Albany,  New-Baltimore,  and 
-^verai  other  towns  in  New -York  state  ;  and  preached  there, 
almost  every  day,  until  December  Sth,  and  then  rode  to 
Hartford,  New-London  and  Groton,  in  Connecticut  ;  preach- 
ed and  baptised  there.  The  second  Sunday  in  January,  eighteen 
hundred  and  fifteen,  was  in  Providence,  confined  ten  dajs  with 
the  ague  in  my  face.  After  being"  able  to  journey,  rnv  wife 
came  on  with  me,  and  arrived  at  Portsmouth,  N.  H.  Januarv 
tWenty-first,  eighteen  hundred  and  fifteen  ;  went  to  my  hired 
house,  which  had  but  little  in  it,  excepting  some  v/Qod  and  a 
few  chairs  to  set  in.  Though  we  were  destitute  of  almost  eve- 
ry kind  of  furniture,  food  and  money,  yet  the  Lord  raised  up 
friends  around  us,  whose  hearts  and  hands  were  open  to  sup- 
ply us  with  such  things  as  we  stood  in  need  of,  as  fast  as  our 
wants  returned. 

My  furniture  in  Philadelphia  I  sold,  and  parted  with  every 
article,  down  to  knives,  forks  and  spoons.  Though  I  married 
a  rich  man's  daughter,  she  had  when  she  leftc her  father's 
house,  only  the  fruit  of  her  hands  ;  so  that  her  own  works 
praised  her  and  not  another.  From  January  to  June  I  was 
constantly  employed,  'in  writing  my  paper,  settling  my  ac- 
counts, writing  some  of  my  "  Life,  Travels,  &c."  and  preach- 
ing the  gospel  of  the  kingdom. 

In  June,  I  attended  the  general  meeting  in  Danville,  Vt, 
rode  to  Woodstock,  preached  in  Lebanon,  and  Andover/and 
returned  in  three  weeks.  From  the  last  week  in  July,  to  the 
first  of  November,  I  went  three  journeys  into  the  State  of 
Newhampshire  ;  one  to  the  district  of  Maine,  one  to  the  south 
side  of  Massachusetts,  and  one  journey  to  Connecticut,  In 
three  months,  and  one  week,  I  rode  twenty -three  hundred 
miles  ;  spake  almost  every  day,  and  generally,  from  an  hour 
and  an  half  to  two  hours  ;  was  at  home  twenty  days  only  in  the 
whole  time  ;  and  had  many  times  of  refreshing  irom  the  pres- 
ence of  tho*Lord,  and  joined  with  the  thousands  in  praisin^ 
God  and  the  Lamb.  In  December,  I  rode  once  to  Boston  and 
returned.  The  same  month,  went  again  to  Boston,  preached 
tnere,  in  B.is.ol,  Warren,  and  Swanzey,  and  returned  hoa'.c 
flie  first  of  January,  eighteen  hundred  and  siiicen. 


Kks 


4G£  life  qf 

CHAPTER  XL. 

Every  person  who  reads  this  journal  will  be  convinced,  that 
the  author  has  not  lived  an  idle  life.     But  few  have  journeyed 
and  spake  more  in  the  course  of  twenty-five  years.   Many  have 
considered  me  a  bad  man ;  because  so  many  professors  of  re- 
ligion have  been  against  me,  but  it  has  been  my  desire  to  live 
soberly,  righteously,  and  godly  in  this  present  evil  world,  look- 
ing" for  that  blessed  hope.     .Many   have  been  told,  that  1  held 
a  diminutive  idea  of  Christ,  but  they  may  rest  assured,  that  I 
"believe  all  the  scriptures  say  of  him,  who  is  the  brightness  of 
his  Father's  glory ;  the  express  image  of  his  person  ;  worthy 
of  more  glory  than  Moses  /  greater  than  Solomon,  higher  than 
the  kings   of  the  earth.     Much  better  than  the  angels  ;  Lord 
of  all :  the  one  lawgiver,  able  to  save  and  destroy  ;  the  bishop 
of  souls,  the  leader  and  commander  of  the  people,  the  light 
of  the  world  ;   who  in   all  things  has  the  pre-eminence.     For 
him  and  his  perfect  law  of  liberty,  I   have  suffered  trouble  as 
an  evil  doer  ;  through  him  I  hope  for  glory,  honor,  immortali- 
ty, and  eternal  life.     That  my  friends  and  enemies  may  know 
how  my   mind   stands,  as  it  respects  the  commands  and  doc- 
trines of  men,  and  the  scriptures  of  truth,  I  liere  present  them 
with   my  solemn  protest,  against  all  man-made  systems  of 
doctrine,  and  invented  power,  contrary  to  Christ  and  the  scrip- 
tures of  truth  ;  that   they  may  have  my  mind,  when  my  race 
©n  earth  is  run  and  my  course  is  finished. 
PROTEST. 
I  do  in  the  first  place   publicly  declare,  t hat  the  Holt;  Scrip- 
tures  which  contain  a  revelation  of  the    will  of  God,    are   the 
only  sure,  authentic  and  infallible  Rule  of  the  faith  and  practice 
of  every   Christian,  by  which  all  opinions  are  to  be  fairly  and 
impartially  examined  ;  and  in  consequence  cf  this,  T  do  protest 
against  setting  up  and  allowing  the  decrees  of  any  man,  or  body 
of  men,  as  of  equal  authority  and  obligation  with  the    word   of 
God;   whether  they  be  councils,   synods,    convocations^   associa- 
tions, missionary  societies^  or  general  assemblies  ;  whether  ancient 
or  modern,  Romish,    Episcopal,    Presbyterian,  Congregational, 
Baptist,  or  Methodist,  Popes,  Fathers,  or  Doctors  of  Divinity. 

I  do  farther  assert  and  maintain,  according  to   the   doctrine 
of  Christ  and  the  Apostles,   a:-id  the  practice   of  Christians,    in 
the  first  century  ;    that  in  all  things   essential   to  the  faith  and 
practice  of  a  Christian,  the  Scriptures  are  plain,    and    easy  to 
be  understood,  by  all  who  will  diligently  and  impartially  read 
and  study  them  ;  and  that  charging  the    Scriptures   with 
scurity  and  uncertainty,  is  contrary  to  the  plain  dec! 
the  Scriptures,  and  is  an  abuse  of  the  rule  given  for  I 
to  walk  by,  an  insult  upon  that  Il/y  Spirit  by  which    I 
of  them   were  guided,   and  a    wicked  reproacl 
them  by  ignorant,  corrupt   and  wicked  hirelings,   U  <>• 


ELIAS    SMITH.  403 

into  si  slavish  dependence  on  them  ;  that  by  thus  representing 
the  Scriptures  as  a  dark  book,  they  have  hood -winked  the  follow- 
ers of  Christ,  and  others,  that  they  might  render  them  implicit 
believers  in  their  arbitrary  decrees,  and  make  them,  without 
controul,  subservient  to  the  views  of  their  ambition,  avarice, 
pride  and  lu 

1  do  farther  assert,  that  every  Christian  is  under  an  indis- 
pensable obligation  to  search  the  Scriptures  for  himself,  and 
make  the  best  use  cf  it  he  can  for  his  information  in  the  will 
of  God,  and  the  nature  of  "Pure  Religion  ,"  that  he  hath  an 
unalienable  right,  impartially  to  judge  of  the  sense  and  mean- 
ing1 of  it,  and  to  follow  the  Scriptures  wherever  it  leads  him, 
even  anequal  right  with  the  Bishops  ami  Pastors  of  the  churches  ; 
and  in  consequence  of  this,  I  farther  protect  against  that  un- 
righteous and  ungodly  pretence  of  making  the  writings  of 
the  fathers,  the  decrees  of  councils  and  synods,  or  \\\e.  sense  of 
the  church,  the  rule  and  standard  of  judging  of  the  sense  of  the 
Scriptures,  as  Popish?  Ami- Christian,  and  dangerous  to  the 
Church  of  God. 

I  do  farther  assert  and  maintain,  that  every  Christian  hath 
an  equal  right  to  the  peaceable  and  constant  possession  of 
what  he  believes  to  be  the  truth  contained  in  the  Scriptures, 
and  ought  to  be  left  '03-  all  men,  and  secured  by  civil  govern- 
ment,  in  the  full  and  undisturbed  enjoyment  of  them  ;  even 
though  bis  principles  may  be,  in  many  things,  contrary  to  what 
the  Reverend  1£.  D*s  call  Orthodoxy  ;  or  what  the  fjricst  ridden, 
call  truth  ;  barely  because  they  never  searched  the  Scrip- 
tures to  know  whether  what  they  think  true,  is  so  or  not. 

As  truth  is  no  private  man's  property,  and  as  all  Christians 
are  under  obligations  to  propagate  it  j  I  dc  also  declare,  that 
every  Christian  has  a  right  to  publish  and  vindicate  what  he 
believes  is  contained  in  the  Scriptures  ;  to  speak  and  write 
against  all  conniption  of  the  -word,  either  in  doctrine  or  practice; 
and  to  expose  the  errors  of  goad  men,  and  tlie  -wit heaviest,  op- 
pression and  hypocrisy  of  ungodly  men,  who  bind  heavy  burdens 
on  men  ;  who  devour  widows  houses,  and  for  a  pretence  make 
long  prayers  ;  that  every  Christian  has  not  only  a  right,  but  is 
commanded  to  separate  from  such  professors,  whose  doctrine 
and  worship  is  contrary  to  what  he  finds  recorded  in  the 
Scriptures  ;  and  that  he  has  a  right  to  enjoy  without  distur- 
bance, oppression  or  disgrace,  or  any  kind  of  punishment,  civil  or 
ecclesiastical,  the  liberty  of  serving  God,  with  any  other  compa- 
ny of  Christians,  as  he  shall  judge  most  expedient  and  useful  to 
him.  And  though,  as  a  consiste?it  Christian,  1  protest  against 
all  the  ungodly  claims  of  spiritual  men,  as  they  are  called,  and 
all  authoritative  and  coercive  church  poiver,  as  it  is  wrongly 
termed,  and  though  the  Clergy  of  no  sort  or  degree,  are  to  be 
considered  or  submitted  to,  as  heads  of  the  church  ;  spiritual 
vicegerar.ts  ;  divine  envoys  ;  infallible  interpreter*  of  scripture  ; 


4#4  MFE    GF 

successors  ef the  apostles ;  sovereign  directors  of  men? s  consciences  , 
doctors  of  divinity  ;  parsons  ;  reverends,  &c.  and  ought  not  to 
be  regarded  when  they  pretend  to  such  unwarranted  charac- 
ters ;  yet  I  heartily  acknowledge,  that  when  any  take  the 
oversight  of  Christ's  flock,  not  by  constraint,  but  willingly  ; 
"  not  for  filthy  Lucre,  but  of  a  ready  mind  ;  when  ministers  act, 
not  as  lords  over  God's  heritage,  but  as  ensamples  of  the  flock  ; 
when  they  take  heed  to  all  the  flock,  the  poor  as  well  as  the 
rich,  to  feed  the  Church  of  God  with  the  sincere  milk  of  the 
word  ;  then,  and  only  then,  is  respect  due  to  their  persons  ,•  re* 
Sard  and  submission  to  their  instructions  ;  and  a  liberal  arid 
'willing  maintenance  to  their  diligence  and  fidelity. 

These  are  the  principles  or' a  real  and  consistent  Christian. 
Upon  tVse  principles,  the  first  Christians  acted,  and  these  I 
am  more  and  more  determined  through  God's  help,  to  propa- 
gate and  defend  with  my  tongue,  pen,  and  example,  against  all 
persons  whatever,  who  shall  attempt  to  oppose  such  just  prin- 
ciples ;  calculated  to  relieve  men  from  the  hard  hand  nf  tyrant- 
cul  oppressor^  under  the  name  of  ministers  of  Christ,  from 
grievous  laa  i  Is  of  clerical  taxation  year  by  year  for  life;  to  re- 
live them  from  bodies  and  systems  of  doctrines  and  command- 
ments of  men  j  to  lead  them  to  Christ  as  head,  the  Scriptures 
as  Itt-ws,  and  to  encourage  the  ministers  of  Christ,  tf  to  go  forth 
weeping,  bearing  precious  seed,  that  they  may  come  again  re- 
joicing, bringing  their  sheaves  with  them  ;"  a  cause  which 
opens  to  each  believer,  with  the  present,  a  far  more  exceeding 
and  eternal  weight  of  glory.     Amen. 

Given  under  my  hand  and  seal,  March  1,  1816. 

ELIAS  SMITH. 

Having  protested  against  all  these  unscriptural  things,  I  leave 
•  the  following  to  the  world,  as  my  full  and  hearty  belief  of  the 
scriptures  of  truth,  which  contain  a  record  of  the  revelation 
from  God  to  man  : 

THE  SCRIPTURES. 
"A  nation  must,  he  truly  blessed,  if  it  were  governed  hy  no 
other  laws,  than  those  of  this  blessed  book  ;  it  is  so  complete 
a  system,  that  nothing  can  be  added  to  it,  or  taken  from  it  ;  it 
contains  every  thing  needful  to  be  known  or  done  ;  it  gives  in- 
struction and  counsel  to  a  senate  ;  authority  and  direction  for 
a  magistrate  ;  it  cautions  a  witness  ;  requires  an  impartial  ver- 
dict of  ajury,  and  furnishes  the  judge  with  his  sentence  ;  it 
sets  the  husband  as  lord  of  the  household,  and  the  wife  as  mis- 
tress  of  the  family,  tells  him  how  to  rule,  and  her  how  to  mam 
agr  :  It  entails  honor  to  parents,  and  enjoins  obedience  to 
children,  It  prescribes  and  limits  the  sway  of  the  sovereign, 
the  rule  of  the  ruler,  and  authority  of  the  master  ;  commands 
the  subject  to  honor,,  and  the  servants  to  obey  ;  and  promises 
the  blessings  und  protection  0/  its  author,  to  all  that,  walk 


ELIAS    SMITH.  40# 

by  its  rules  ;  it  promises  food  and  raiment,  and  limits  the  use 
of  both.  It  points  out  a  faithful  and  an  Eternal  Guardian  to 
the  departing  husband  and  father  ;  tolls  him  with  whom  to 
leave  his  fatherless  children,  and  in  whom  his  widow  is  to 
trust,  Jeremi a h  xlix.  11  It  teaches  a  man  how  to  make  his? 
will :  Ic  defends  the  rights  of  all  ;  and  reveals  vengeance  to 
every  defrauder,  over-reacher,  and  oppressor.  It  is  the  Jlrst 
book  ;  the  best  book  ;  and  the  oldest  book  in  the  world  ;  it  con- 
tains the  choicest  matter  ;  gives  the  best  instruction  ;  and 
affords  the  greatest  pleasure  and  satisfaction  that  ever  was  re- 
vealed :  It  contains  the  best  of  laws,  and  profoundest  myste- 
ries that 'ever  was  penned:  It  brings  the  best  tidings,  and 
affords  the  best  of  comfort,  to  the  inquiring  and  disconsolate  : 
It  exhibits  life  and  immortality  from  everlasting,  and  shews  the 
way  to  glory  :  (t  is  a  brief  recital  of  all  that  is  past  and  a  cer- 
tain prediction  of  all  that  is  to  come  :  It  settles  all  matters  in 
debate,  resolves  all  doubts,  and  eases  the  mind  and  conscience 
of  ail  their  scrupies  :  It  reveals  the  only  living  and  true  GOD, 
and  shews  the  way  to  him  ;  and  sets  aside  all  otker  gods,  and 
describes  the  vanity  of  them.  In  short,  it  is  a  book  of  laws,  to'* 
shew  right  and  wrong  ;  a  book  of  wisdom,  that  condemns  all 
folly,  and  makes  the  foolish  wise  ;  a  book  of  truth,  that  de- 
tects all  lies,  and  confutes  all  errors  ;  and  a  book  of  life,  that 
shews  the  way  from  everlasting  death.  It  is  the  most  com- 
pendious book  in  all  the  world,  the  most  authentic,  and  the 
most  entertaining  history  that  ever  was  published.  It  contains 
the  most  anciem  antiquities,  strange  events,  wonderful  occur- 
rences, heroic  deeds,  tmparalled  wars  :  It  describes  the  celes- 
tial, terrestial,  and  eternal  worlds  ;  and  the  origin  of  the  angel- 
ic myriads,  human  tribes,  and  devilish  legions  :  It  will  instruct 
the  most  accomplished  mechanic,  and  the  profoundest  artist  : 
It  will  teach  the  best  rhetorician,  and  exercise  every  power  of 
the  most  skilful  arithmetician,  Revelations  xiii.  18  ;  puzzle  the 
IX  anatomist,  and  exercise  the  nicest  critic  :  It  corrects 
the  vain  philosopher,  and  confutes  the  wisest  astronomer  :  It 
exposes  the  subtle  sophist,  and  makes  diviners  mad  :  It  is  a 
complete  code  of  laws,  a  perfect  body  of  divinity,  an  unequalled 
narrative  ;  a  book  of  lives,  a  book  of  travels,  and  a  book  of 
voyages  .  It  is  the  best  covenant  that  ever  was  agreed  on,  the 
best  deed  that  ever  was  pnuluced  ;  the  best  will  that  ever 
was  made,  and  the  best  testament  that  ever  was  signed.  To 
understand  it,  is  to  be  wise  indeed  ;  to  be  ignorant  of  it,  is  to 
be  destitute  of  wisdom.  It  is  the  magistrate's  best  guide  ; 
the  servant's  best  directory,  and  the  young  man's  best  com- 
panion :  It  is  the  school  boy's  spelling-bo<jk,  and  the  learned 
mmVmaster-piece  :  It  contains  a  choice  grammar  for  a  nov- 
ice, and  a  profound  mystery  for  a  sage  :  It  is  the  ig.iorant 
rran's  dictionary,  and  the  wise  man's  directory  :  It  encourages 
the  wise,  and  promises  an  eternal  reward  \o  the  excellent. 


406  LIFE    OF 

And  that  which  crowns  all  is,  that  the  Author  is  without  par- 
tiality, and  without  hypocrisy,  "  in  whom  is  no  variable- 
ness OR  SHADOW  OF   TURNING." 

TO  CONCLUDE. 

At  the  present  time  wars,  have  ceased  to  the  ends  of  the 
earth,  and  there  is  now  a  great  calm.  Many  who  have  for  years 
been  my  enemies,  are  either  dead,  converted  to  God,  convinced,  or 
ashamed ;  and  this  is  the  most  peaceable  time  with  me,  that  I 
have  seen  in  twelve  years.  My  children  are  well  provided 
for,  at  the  houses  of  their  husbands,  among"  my  friends,  or  in 
their  father's  house.  Though  I  remain  poor,  yet  the  Lord  lias 
provided,  and  still  provides  for  us.  The  greater  part  of  the 
debts  which  so  much  troubled  me  two  years  ago,  are  now 
paid,  and  there  is  a  prospect  of  being  clear  from  them  all  be- 
fore many  months. 

Thirteen  years  ago,  I  did  not  think  to  see  so  many  preachers 
and  brethren,  with  the  name  and  law  of  Christ  only,  in  thirty 
^ears,  as  I  now  see.  There  are  about  fifty  preachers  in  the 
^New-England  states,  and  the  state  of  New-York.  These  are 
now  travelling  and  preaching,  in  various  parts  with  great  suc- 
cess. Our  brethren  in  Virginia,  North  and  South  Carolina, 
Georgia  and  the  Western  country,  are  striving  for  the  faith  of 
the  gospel.  The  commandments  and  doctrines  of  men  are 
perishing  in  the  using. 

Through  the  whole,  T  have  been  nothing,  and  Christ  all.  I 
am  yet  a  debtor  to  Giace,  and  thank  Christ  Jesus,  who  count- 
ed me  faithful,  putting  me  into  the  ministry.  There  is  but  little 
for  me  to  hope  for  in  this  life,  and  that  but  for  a  short  time. 
In  the   life   to  come,  is  all  that  mortals  can  want. 

Many  who  read  this,  I  shall  never  see  on  earth  ;  but  if  you 
are  Christians  indeed,  we  shall,  if  faithful  unto  death,  meet  n© 
more  to  part.  The  Lord  forgive  my  enemies,  instruct  the  ig- 
norant, comfort  the  feeble,  encourage  the  strong,  and  hasten 
the  day,  when  the  seventh  angel's  trump  shall  proclaim  the 
mystery  of  God  finished  :  the  kingdoms  of  this  world  become 
the. kingdom  of  our  Lord  and  his  Christ,  and  all  nations  call 
him  blessed,  and, 

"  Every  creature  rise  and  sing  ; 
Peculiar  honors  to  their  King  ; 
Angels  descend   with   songs  again, 
And  earth  repeat  the  long — Amen," 


PROPOSAL 

F0R     PRINTING    THE    SECOND     VOLUME    OF    THE 

Life,  Travels,  Preaching  and  Sufferings  of 
ELIAS  SMITH. 

CONDITIONS. 

1.  To  be  printed  on  good  paper  ;  Pica  type,  duode* 
cimo  ;  to  contain  about  400  pages  ;  neatly  bound  and 
lettered  ;  at  one  dollar.  Money  to  be  paid  when  the 
books  ate  delivered. 

2.  Those  who  subscribe,  or  are  accountable  for  eight 
copies,  to  receive  one  free  ;  those  who  are  accountable 
for  fourteen,  to  receive  two. 

3.  The  work  to  be  put  to  press,  in  one  year  from 
March  1,  18 1 6,  if  a  sufficient  number  of  subscribers  are 
obtained. 

This  Volume,  in  addition  to  a  particular 
and  interesting  account  of  travels,  and  preach- 
ing in  the  middle  and  southern  States,  from 
1810,  with  an  account  of  their  manners, 
customs,  state  of  the  slaves,  &c.  ;  is  to  con- 
tain a  particular  description  of  the  different 
parts  of  the  doctrine  of  Christ,  as  contained 
in  the  new-testament  ;  distinguished  from  the 
doctrines  of  men,  propagated,  received  and 
defended  by  the  different  sectarians  of  the 
present  day  ;  with  a  great  variety  of  useful 
and  entertaining  things  interspersed  through 
the  volume. 

Such  are  the  circumstances  of  the  author, 
that  the  publication  of  the  work  must  depend 
on  the  generosity  of  the  liberal  to  bring  the 
work  before  the  world  for  examination  and 
information. 


BOOKS, 

Published  and  Sold  by  Elias  Smith,  JVa.  2, 
Laddstreet,  and  James  F.  Shores,  Book- 
seller, JVo.  i,  Market  steeet,  Portsmouth, 
•7V.  II.  ;  sold  also  by  the  Booksellers,  and 
Country  Merchants,  and  the  Christian 
Preachers,  in  the  United  States  : 

Twenty-two   Sermons  on  the 

Prophecies  yet  to  be  fulfilled  ;  1  vol.  1  dollar. 

New-Testament    Dictionary, 

containing  the  New-Testament  meaning  of 
eleven  hundred  and  eight  words  ;  pocket 
volume.     1  dollar. 

Smith  and  Jones' Hymn  Book, 

seventh  edition  ;  a  small  neat  pocket  volume. 
6£  1-2  cents. 

The  Christian's  Pocket  Com- 
panion and  Daily  Assistant. 

Three    Sermons   on  Election, 

decribing  the  Election  of  Christ  ;  Angels ; 
Patriarchs  ;  Nation  of  the  Jews  ;  Prophets  ; 
Apostles  ;   Saints. 

History  of  Anti-Christ. 

Christian's  Magazine  ;  1  vol. 

Volumes  of  Sermons  ;  Ser- 
mons in  pamphlets,  on  various  subjects, 
&c.  &c. 

A  small  volume   of  Hymns, 

just  published,  entitled  the  "  Songs  of  the 
Medeemed^or  the  followers  of  theLaaib." 


V 


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